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Population
A group of individuals of the same species in the same living area at the same time
Population ecology
The study of how and why the number of individuals in a population changes over time
Exponential growth equation
(# of births - # of deaths) x # of individuals in population = populations growth rate; J-shaped curve where the higher r-value, the steeper the curve
Carrying Capacity
The maximum number of individuals in a population that can be supported in a particular habitat over a sustained period of time
Logistic growth
When population density gets very high, population’s per capita birthrate decreases and the per capita death rate increases causing r to decline; sigmoid or s shaped curve
Ecological footprint
the amount of environmental resources necessary to produce the goods and services that support an individual's lifestyle, a nation's prosperity, or the economic activity of humanity as a whole
Biological community
the living, or biotic, populations that exist within an ecosystem in a shared location
Competition
An interspecific interaction that is negative for both ends and happens when species compete for a resource in short supply
Predation
An interspecific interaction that is positive for one side and negative for the other where one species (the predators) kills and eats the other (the prey)
Symbiosis
A relationship where two or more species live in direct and intimate contact with one another (parasitism, mutualism, commensalism, and facilitation)
Facilitation
An interaction in which one species has positive effects on another species without direct and intimate contact
Niche
the total of a species use of biotic or abiotic resources
Competitive exclusion principle
states that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist
Coloration / Camouflage
Used to make prey difficult to spot
Mimicry
A prey species may gain significant protection by mimicking the appearance of another species
Primary succession
Where no soil exists or no soil is intact
Secondary succession
Occurs when a community has been damages but soil remains
Individual
a singular organism
Ecosystem
a community looking at both the living and non-living things
Community
A group of collection of different species in the same area at the same space that are living
Biotic
Living
Abiotic
Non-living
Population growth calculations
Change in population size= births + immigrants entering population - deaths - emigrants leaving population
Immigrants
a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign population or country
Emigrants
an individual who leaves their own population or country in order to settle permanently in another
How individuals join a population
Through birth or immigration
How individuals leave a population
Through death or emigration
Per capita rate of increase
The difference between the birthrate and death rate per individual
Intrinsic rate of increase
when birthrates are as high as possible and death rates are as low as possible, r reaches a maximum value
Colonization of a new habitat
A few individuals colonize a new habitat with plentiful resources
Recovery after a disaster
A population has been devastated by a storm or some other type of catastrophe and then begins to recover, starting with a few surviving individuals
R
Rate of incline
Density dependent growth
Logistic growth
Density independent growth
Exponential growth
Environmental resistance factors
Space, food, soil quality, competition, mating partners, disease, predation, water, sunlight, etc.
Interspecific interactions
relationships between species in a community (categorized as positive, negative, or no effect)
Resource partitioning
differentiation of ecological niches, enabling similar species to coexist in a community
Fundamental niche
the niche potentially occupied by that species
Realized niche
the niche actually occupied by that species
Parasitism
An interspecific interaction where one organisms (the parasite) derives nourishment from another organism, (its host) which is harmed in the process
Mutualism
An interspecific interaction that benefit both species
Commensalism
An interspecific interaction where one species is benefitted and the other is neither harmed nor helped
Succession
A gradual change in species composition over time
GPP
Gross Primary Productivity- the total amount of chemical energy produced in a given area and time period
NPP
Net primary productivity- the energy reminding after cellular respiration
Net primary productivity equation
NPP= GPP - R (where R is energy used in cellular respiration)
Primary consumers
Eat primary producers
Secondary consumers
Eat primary consumers
Tertiary consumers
Eat secondary consumers
Decomposers or detritivores
Feed on detritus or the waste products or dead remains of other organisms
Trophic levels
the number of steps it is from the start of the chain
Efficiency between trophic levels
A ratio- the traction of biomass transferred from one trophic level to the next (usually about 10% but can vary dramatically)
Biogeochemical cycle
The path that an element takes as it moves from abiotic systems through organisms and back again
Carbon sinks (aka reservoirs)
Include soils, oceans, plant and animal biomass, the atmosphere and fossil fuels
The carboniferous period
About 300-360 mya where lignin was present and nothing was able to break it down causing the dead plants to be buried instead of broken down resulting in fossil fuels or reservoirs or carbon that are sealed off from the global carbon cycle
The Anthropocene
The biological, chemical, and geological consequences of human impacts have been so dramatic that scientists have proposed naming a new epoch in the geological time scale
Global warming
Refers to the increase in the average temperature of the planet (one specific change)
Global climate change
Refers to the sum of all the changes in local temperature and precipitation patterns that result from global warming (all together)
Greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor that acts as a blanket around the atmosphere when there is too much of them, letting in heat but not letting enough out so the temperature gradually gets hotter
Genetic diversity
comprises genetic variation within a population and between populations
Species diversity (species richness)
is the variety of species in an ecosystem or throughout the biosphere
Ecosystem diversity
is the variety of ecosystems in the biosphere
Background extinctions
Normal extinctions that occur during a given period of time
Mass extinctions
A large proportion of species on earth are lost in a short amount of time
Biggest threats to biodiversity
Deforestation and habitat loss
Other threats to biodiversity
Invasive species, over-harvesting, acid rain, ocean acidification
Conservation biology
Is a branch of ecology that seeks to investigate and reverse the loss of biodiversity
Fragmentation
The splitting of habitats that isolates small populations
Corridors
Can be used to connect habitat patches
Pyramid of productivity
shows the production or turnover (the rate at which energy or mass is transferred from one trophic level to the next) of biomass at each trophic level
Ecosystem services
encompass all the processes through which natural ecosystems and their species help sustain human life (ex: purification of air and water, detoxification and decomposition of wastes, cycling of nutrients, moderation of weather extremes, pollination, etc.)