APES Unit 2 Vocab

Specialists

Species that live only under a narrow range of biotic or abiotic conditions.

Generalists

Species that can live under a wide range of biotic or abiotic conditions.

Species Richness

The number of different species in a given area.

Species Eveness

The relative proportion of individuals within the different species in a given area.

Island Biogeography

The study of how species are distributed and interacting on islands.

Ecological Tolerance/Fundamental Niche

The suite of abiotic conditions under which a species can survive, grow, and reproduce.

Realized Niche

The range of abiotic and biotic conditions under which a species actually lives.

Mass Extinction

A large number of species that went extinct over a relatively short period of time.

Periodic Disruption

Occurring regularly, such as the cycles of day and night or the daily and monthly cycles of the moon’s effect on ocean tides.

Episodic Disruption

Occurring somewhat regularly, such as cycles of high rain and low rain that occur every 5 to 10 years.

Random Disruption

Occurring with no regular pattern, such as volcanic eruptions or hurricanes.

Resistance

In an ecosystem, a measure of how much a disruption can affect the flows of energy and matter.

Resilience

The rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disruption.

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis

The hypothesis that ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of disturbance will favor a higher level of diversity of species than those with high or low disturbance levels.

Evolution by Artificial Selection

The process in which humans determine which individuals to breed, typically with a preconceived set of traits in mind.

Evolution by Natural Selection

The process in which the environment determines which individuals survive and reproduce.

Fitness

An individuals ability to survive and reproduce.

Adaptation

A trait that improves an individual’s fitness.

Allopatric Speciation

The process of speciation that occurs with geographical isolation.

Sympatric Speciation

The evolution of one species into two species without any geographic isolation.