Introduction to Ecosystems

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to ecosystems, biodiversity, and ecological interactions.

Ecosystem

A community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Biodiversity

The variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Keystone species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Food chain

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Food web

A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem.

Abiotic factors

Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms.

Biotic factors

Living components of an ecosystem that affect organisms.

Niche

The role or function of an organism or species within an ecosystem.

Producers

Organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis, typically plants.

Consumers

Organisms that rely on other organisms for food.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, returning nutrients to the environment.

Trophic levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Gross primary productivity (GPP)

The total amount of organic material produced by photosynthesis.

Net primary productivity (NPP)

The amount of energy left over for plant growth after accounting for energy used in respiration.

Thermodynamics in ecosystems

Principle stating that energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels, leading to loss of usable energy.

Ecotone

A transition area between two different ecological communities.

Symbiosis

A close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Competition exclusion principle

The concept that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist at constant population values.

Tolerance ranges

The range of environmental conditions that a species can endure before physiological stress occurs.

Environmental gradient

The gradual change in environmental conditions through space.

Habitat

The natural environment in which an organism lives.

Ecological succession

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Primary producers

Organisms that can produce their own food, primarily through photosynthesis.

Top predators

Organisms at the highest trophic level, which have few or no natural enemies.

Biomass

The total mass of living matter within a given area or volume.

Energy pyramid

A graphical representation of the energy flow in an ecosystem, showing the energy available at each trophic level.

Nutrient cycling

The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of matter.

Biomes

Large geographical biotic units, classified according to the predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment.

Ecosystem Engineer

An organism that creates, significantly modifies, maintains, or destroys a habitat.

Autotrophs

Organisms that can produce their own food using inorganic substances, usually through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that cannot produce their own food and rely on other organisms for nutrients.

Trophic cascade

An ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators affecting multiple trophic levels.

Biological magnification

The process by which the concentration of toxic substances increases in organisms at each successive trophic level.

Keystone predator

A predator species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of the ecological community.

Invasive species

Non-native species that spread widely and cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health.

Indicator species

Species whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition, often used to assess the health of an ecosystem.

Symbiosis

A close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Competition exclusion principle

The concept that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist at constant population values.

Tolerance ranges

The range of environmental conditions that a species can endure before physiological stress occurs.

Environmental gradient

The gradual change in environmental conditions through space.

Gross primary productivity (GPP)

The total amount of organic material produced by photosynthesis.

Net primary productivity (NPP)

The amount of energy left over for plant growth after accounting for energy used in respiration.

Thermodynamics in ecosystems

Principle stating that energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels, leading to loss of usable energy.

Ecological footprint

The measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems, representing the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to produce the resources consumed and absorb the wastes generated.

Sustainable development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely without degrading the environment.

Habitat fragmentation

The process by which large, continuous habitats are divided into smaller, isolated patches.

Invasive species

Non-native species that spread widely and cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health.

Genetic diversity

The total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species.

Climate change

Long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place, primarily driven by human activities.

Restoration ecology

The scientific study of repairing disturbed ecosystems through human intervention.

Pollinator decline

The reduction in populations of pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, crucial for plant reproduction and food supply.

Ecosystem resilience

The capacity of an ecosystem to respond to a disturbance by resisting damage and recovering quickly.