Ecology and Evolution Review

Flashcards covering key concepts from Ecology and Evolution Review, including ecosystem interactions, classification of organisms, evolution evidence, and speciation.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an ecosystem.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living components of an ecosystem.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of an organism.

Niche

The functional role of an organism in its ecosystem.

Biomes

Major life zones characterized by vegetation type or physical environment.

Soil Layers

Layers of soil, such as topsoil, subsoil, and parent rock.

Density-Dependent Factors

Factors that affect a population based on its density.

Density-Independent Factors

Factors that affect a population regardless of its density.

Clear Cutting

Forestry practice of cutting down all trees in an area.

Slash and Burn

Forestry practice of burning vegetation to clear land.

Selective Cutting

Forestry practice of cutting down only certain trees.

Dissolved Oxygen

The amount of oxygen dissolved in water.

Biological Oxygen Demand

The amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water.

Naming Systems

A system of naming organisms.

Dichotomous Key

A tool that allows the user to determine the identity of items in the natural world.

Fossil Evidence

Preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms.

Biogeography

The study of the geographic distribution of species.

Homologous Structures

Structures in different species that are similar because of common ancestry.

Analogous Structures

Structures in different species that are similar in function but not in structure and evolutionary origin.

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

The branch of science concerned with the chemical and physicochemical processes and substances that occur within living organisms.

Lamarck

His theory involved acquired characteristics.

Natural Selection

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce.

Variation

Differences among individuals in a population.

Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence.

Speciation

The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.

Allopatric Speciation

Speciation that occurs when biological populations of the same species become isolated from each other.

Sympatric Speciation

Speciation that occurs when two groups of the same species live in the same geographic location.

Punctuated Equilibrium

A model of evolution in which long stable periods are interrupted by brief periods of more rapid change.

Gradualism

The slow and steady change in a particular line of descent.

Divergent Evolution

When related species evolve in different directions they become increasingly different.

Convergent Evolution

An evolutionary process where different species develop similar traits for the same function