CHAPTER 1.1

Stewardship

A way of acting that involves taking personal responsibility for the management and care of something.

Environment

All the living and nonliving things that exist on earth as well as their interactions with each other.

Sustainability

The ability for populations of plants, animals, and other organisms to continue interacting and reproducing indefinitely.

Biodiversity

The number of different types of organisms in an area.

System

A group of individual parts that interact as a whole to accomplish a task.

Components

The parts of the system.

Holistic approach

Emphasizes the entire system.

Ecology

The study of how organisms interact with each other as well as with their environment.

Ecosystem

A complex, self-regulating system where living things interact with each other and non-living things.

Biotic factors

Living organisms such as animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and algae.

Abiotic factors

Everything else, including physical things like rocks, air, and water that can be measured.

Species

A group of similar organisms in an ecosystem.

Population

A group of members of the same species that live in the same area.

Habitat

The physical environment of an organism.

Community

Made up of populations of different species that live and interact in the area.

Niche

All the interactions of a given species with its ecosystem.

Biome

A large geographic area that contains similar ecosystems.

Deciduous forests

Forests characterized by trees that lose their leaves in the winter (e.g., maple and oaks).

Competition

The interaction between two or more organisms competing for the same resource in a given habitat.

Predation

Occurs when one organism eats another organism to obtain food.

Mimicry

One species looks like another species.

Symbiosis

A close interaction between two different species where one species lives in, on, or near the other.

Element

Pure substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances.

Nutrient cycle

The process of moving a nutrient back and forth.

Reservoir

Any place where matter accumulates.

Run-off

Streams and rivers made up of different precipitation that run off.

Aquifers

Groundwater that may flow into large underground lakes.

Food web

A complex system of interconnecting food chains in an ecosystem.

Ecological pyramid

Visual representations showing relationships between trophic levels in ecosystems.

Energy pyramid

Illustrates energy transfer between trophic levels, with about 10% of energy passed on.

Producers

Organisms that produce their own food (e.g., plants).

Consumers

Organisms that eat other organisms (e.g., herbivores, carnivores, omnivores).

Trophic levels

Levels in the food chain where producers occupy the lowest level.

Black bear's ecological niche

Feeds on tender plants, insects, and small animals; hibernates in winter.

Scavengers

Animals that consume dead organisms, important in maintaining ecosystem balance.

Sustainable use

Using an ecosystem’s resources to meet current needs without compromising future generations.

Genetic diversity

Differences among individuals of the same species.

Extinction

The death of every member of a species.

Habitat change

The process by which humans alter habitats so native species can no longer live there.

Pollution

A substance added to the environment that produces a harmful condition.

Invasive species

A non-native species that causes harm to the ecosystem into which it is introduced.

Climate change

Changes in average temperatures, rainfall patterns, and wind directions over time.

Soil erosion

The loss of soil when water or wind washes or blows it away.

Crop rotation

The practice of planting a different type of crop each year in a field.

Eutrophication

The addition of nutrients to an aquatic ecosystem causing increased growth of plants.

Conservation biology

The study that seeks to understand and protect biodiversity.

Ecological footprint

An estimate of how much land and water is needed to support your lifestyle.