AP bio unit 8 pt. 2 vocabulary

Endotherm

An animal that produces most of its heat as a by-product of metabolic reactions to maintain a warm and steady body temperature.

Ectotherm

An animal that obtains most of its heat to warm its body from the environment.

Metabolic rate

The number of calories burned by an organism over time while at rest.

Chemosynthesis

The biochemical process in which the energy of chemical compounds is used to build sugars.

Autotroph

Organism that obtains energy by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Heterotroph

An organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms.

Trophic Level

An arrangement of producers and consumers into successive levels that represents the movement of energy.

Density-independent factor

Factors that reduce density regardless of a population's size.

Density-dependent factor

Factors that limit population growth as its size increases.

Logistic growth

A growth model that describes population growth when there is a density-dependent carrying capacity.

Exponential growth

A model of a population that continues to grow rapidly over time in an exponential manner.

Carrying capacity

A limit on how many individuals can be supported in a given environment.

Per capita growth rate (r)

The rate of population change divided by the size of the population.

Maximum per capita growth rate of a population (rmax)

The maximum growth rate possible for a population living without any constraints.

Disturbance

any relatively discrete event in time that disrupts ecosystem, community, or population structure and changes resources, substrate availability, or the physical environment

Photic zone

*The upper region of the water mass that receives the maximum light from the sun. Also known as the euphotic zone or the epipelagic zone.

Aphotic zone

*The area under the water's surface into which little to no light can penetrate. It exists in contrast to the photic zone, underneath it in an ocean. Photosynthesis is not possible in this region.

Benthic zone

*The ecological zone located at the bottom of any marine or freshwater body, such as a river, ocean, lake or pond. This includes the sediment surface. Also known as, the lowest level of a body of water, such as a lake or ocean, where organisms live on or in the sediment at the bottom.

Littoral zone

*The nearshore area of a body of water, typically characterized by shallow waters that support a diverse range of aquatic life. This zone extends from the high-water mark, where land meets water, down to the depth where sunlight can no longer penetrate, allowing photosynthesis.

Limnetic zone

*Also known as the open water zone or pelagic zone of a freshwater body, is the region of a lake or pond that extends from the surface down to the depth where sunlight no longer penetrates effectively.

Pelagic zone

*The open ocean's water column, which extends from the surface to the bottom. Another name for it is the wide ocean.

Oligotrophic

*Having a deficiency of plant nutrients that is usually accompanied by an abundance of dissolved oxygen.

Eutrophic

*The process in which a water body becomes overly enriched with nutrients, leading to the plentiful growth of simple plant life.

Density

*The number of individuals in a given area divided by the size of the area.

Dispersion

*The dissemination, or scattering, of organisms over periods within a given area or over the Earth.

Demography

*The statistical study of population changes over time: birth rates, death rates, and life expectancies.

Survivorship curve

*The graphic representation of the number of individuals in a population that can be expected to survive to any specific age.

K-selection

*A reproductive strategy where species focus on producing a smaller number of offspring but invest heavily in their survival and development, thriving in stable environments where resources are limited and competition is high.

r-selection

*A reproductive strategy where organisms prioritize producing a large number of offspring with little parental investment, often seen in unstable or unpredictable environments, allowing for rapid population growth.

Population dynamics

*The study of how populations of organisms change over time, focusing on factors like birth rates, death rates, and migration, which influence population size and structure.

Camouflage (cryptic coloration)

*A defense strategy where organisms disguise their appearance, often by blending into their surroundings, to mask their location, identity, and movement.

Warning coloration (aposematic coloration)

*A form of protective coloration where conspicuous markings or bright colors on an animal signal to potential predators that it is toxic, poisonous, or otherwise unpalatable, discouraging them from attacking.

Relative abundance

*The proportion of a particular species in relation to the total number of all species in a given area or community. It reflects how common or rare a species is compared to others in the same ecosystem.

Biomass

*The total mass of living organisms in a given area, ecosystem, or trophic level at a specific time.

Vector

*A vector is an organism (often an insect or arthropod) that transmits a pathogen or a reproductive agent from one host to another.

Primary producers

*An organism that creates its own food from inorganic sources, forming the base of the food chain.

Primary consumers

*An organism that feeds directly on producers in a food chain. They are herbivores and occupy the second trophic level, just above the producers.

Secondary consumers

*Organisms that obtain energy by consuming primary consumers.

Tertiary consumers

*Animals that consume other animals to obtain nutrition from them.

Decomposers

*Any organism that breaks down or eats decaying material for its energy source.

Detritivores

*A type of heterotroph, or organisms that consume dead and decaying organic matter known as detritus to obtain energy and nutrition.

Detritus

*The dead and decaying organic matter that is broken down by decomposers, such as bacteria, fungi, and insects. It is a vital component of the ecosystem, playing a crucial role in nutrient cycling and energy transfer from one trophic level to another.

Limiting nutrient

*An essential nutrient that is in short supply relative to its demand by organisms in an ecosystem. Its scarcity can restrict the growth and productivity of organisms within that ecosystem.

Eutrophication

*The process of excessively enriching a body of water in nutrients, primarily phosphorus and nitrogen. This elevated nutrient level leads to rapid growth and proliferation of algae and phytoplankton, often resulting in negative ecological impacts.

Biogeochemical cycles

*A cycle of matter through an ecosystem (between organisms and the abiotic environment); the cycle involves biological, geologic and chemical interactions.

Bioremediation

*A process used to clean up and detoxify polluted sites by utilizing microorganisms, plants, or their enzymes to break down and degrade environmental contaminants. It involves the natural or deliberate introduction of these biological agents to enhance the rate of degradation and transformation of pollutants.

Biological augmentation

*A methodology relevant for bio-removal of heavy metal polluted spots by the aid of particular microbes or hereditarily fixed up bacteria that are efficient in scrimmage with the specific heavy metal pollutant.

Conservation biology

*A discipline that focuses on protecting and restoring the Earth's biodiversity. It is a mission- or crisis-oriented science, where quick action is needed and failure can have devastating effects.

Endangered species

*A species of organisms that is at risk of becoming extinct due to declining population numbers and threats to their habitat.

Threatened species

*Any species which is vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, is commonly referenced as a leading organization in determining if a species can be considered a threatened species or not.

Habitat fragmentation

*This occurs when large areas of habitat are divided into smaller, isolated fragments due to human activities such as urbanization or deforestation. This separation can disrupt ecological processes and lead to a loss of biodiversity.

Introduced species (invasive/non-native species)

*Organisms that do not occur naturally in an area, but are introduced as the result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Overharvesting

*The unsustainable removal of a renewable resource at a rate faster than the population can naturally replenish.

Deforestation

*Destruction or removal of forests and their undergrowth.

Biological magnification

*The process where the concentration of a substance, like a toxicant or pesticide, increases as it moves up the food chain.

Greenhouse effect

*The process through which heat is trapped near Earth's surface by substances known as 'greenhouse gases.'

Climate change

*A long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth's local, regional, and global climates.

Ecological footprint

*Measures how sustainable an individual or group of people are living in their environment.

Movement corridors

*A strip of land or habitat that connects otherwise isolated patches of habitat, facilitating the movement of animals between them.

Sustainable development

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