People & Earth's Ecosystems Reviewer (Modules 1–4)

Vocabulary flashcards generated from Modules 1 through 4 covering core concepts in Ecology, Human Evolution and Population, Agriculture, and Forest Management.

Ecology

The study of how living organisms interact with other living organisms and their environment.

Biotic

The living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and bacteria.

Abiotic

The non-living components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, soil, and temperature.

Organism

One individual living thing.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species living in a particular area.

Community

Different populations or species living and interacting in the same area.

Ecosystem

The combination of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components interacting in an environment.

Biosphere

The broadest level of organization; includes all ecosystems and parts of Earth that support life.

Habitat

The place where an organism lives.

Niche

What an organism needs and does to survive, grow, and reproduce in its environment.

Terrestrial Biome

A major ecosystem found on land, defined by factors such as temperature, moisture, light, and precipitation.

Tundra

A very cold terrestrial biome characterized by low precipitation and permafrost.

Taiga

The largest terrestrial biome, characterized by cold temperatures, long cold winters, and coniferous forests.

Tropical Rainforest

A terrestrial biome that is warm year-round, hot and wet, with very high biodiversity.

Human Evolution

The evolutionary process that led from ancestral primates toward modern humans.

Bipedalism

The anatomical adaptation of walking on two legs.

Encephalization

The evolutionary development of a larger brain.

Sexual Dimorphism

Differences in physical characteristics between males and females of the same species, aside from reproductive organs.

Ulnar Opposition

Contact between the thumb and little finger of the same hand.

Gracile Australopithecines

Bipedal human ancestors characterized by relatively small braincases and lighter builds, including Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus africanus.

Robust Australopithecines

Bipedal human ancestors characterized by small brains, more heavily built structures, and large jaw-muscle attachments.

Homo habilis

An archaic human species of African origin with a brain size of approximately $600\,\text{cc}$, and smaller teeth and jaws compared with Australopithecus.

Homo sapiens

Modern humans, characterized by relatively large brains, higher foreheads, flatter faces, and a prominent nose; the last surviving species of the genus Homo.

Population Density

The number of individuals per unit of area or volume.

Population Dispersion

The pattern of how individuals are spread across an area.

Demography

The statistical study of population density, distribution, growth, mortality, and age distribution.

Birth Rate

The number of individuals produced per unit time, which increases population.

Death Rate

The number of deaths per unit time, which decreases population.

Type I Survivorship Curve

A survivorship pattern with low death rates early in life, high parental care, and most individuals surviving to reproductive age.

Type II Survivorship Curve

A survivorship pattern characterized by an approximately equal probability of dying at any age.

Type III Survivorship Curve

A survivorship pattern with high death rates among the young, little parental care, and few individuals surviving to reproductive age.

Exponential Growth

Rapid, J-shaped population growth that occurs when resources are abundant.

Logistic Growth

S-shaped population growth where growth slows and stabilizes as resources become limited.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of individuals that a habitat can support indefinitely.

Density-Dependent Factors

Population-regulating factors whose effects become stronger as population density increases, such as competition, disease, and predation.

Density-Independent Factors

Population-regulating factors whose effects are unrelated to population density, such as natural disasters.

Thomas Malthus

Scholar who proposed that population can grow faster than food production, causing food shortages and competition.

Agriculture

The practice of raising animals and/or growing crops for food consumption or distribution.

First Agricultural Revolution

An agricultural period characterized by sedentary life, reliable food supplies, domesticated animals, and subsistence agriculture.

Second Agricultural Revolution

An agricultural revolution associated with the Industrial Revolution, technology, increased production and distribution, and commercial agriculture.

Third Agricultural Revolution

Also known as the Green Revolution; characterized by biotechnology, genetic engineering, and increased food production.

Subsistence Farming

Farming focused primarily on producing food for survival.

Shifting Cultivation

An extensive subsistence farming practice of moving fields after soil nutrients become depleted.

Slash-and-Burn

A method of clearing agricultural land by burning vegetation.

Crop Rotation

The practice of planting different crops in different years to help maintain or replenish soil nutrients.

Pastoral Nomadism

Moving animals seasonally to areas with necessary resources.

Animal Husbandry

The practice of breeding and raising animals for meat, milk, eggs, wool, or work/transport.

Aquaculture

Fish farming for human consumption.

Truck Farms

Commercial farms that produce fruits and vegetables for markets.

Suitcase Farms

Farms with no permanent residents, often staffed by migrant workers.

Agribusiness

The mass production of agricultural products.

Von Thünen's Model

A spatial model asserting that farmers choose crops partly based on their distance from the market.

Forest Management

The practice of using forest resources while maintaining ecological functions, forest cover, and biodiversity.

Biodiversity

The variety of living organisms/species in an ecosystem.

Protected Areas

Designated spaces intended to protect ecosystems and natural resources based on factors such as threat degree or species endemism.

Buffer Zone

An area acting as a physical barrier between human activities and a protected area.