1.1- 1.3 vocab heh for APES

Individual

One organism of a species. Example: one elk.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in an area. Example: an elk herd.

Community

All living organisms in an area.

Ecosystem

All living and nonliving things in an area

Biome

A region's plants and animals determined by climate

Climate

The long-term pattern of temperature and precipitation in an area.

Mutualism (+/+)

A relationship where both organisms benefit.

Competition (-/-)

A relationship where organisms compete for limited resources such as food

Predation (+/-)

A relationship where one organism uses another organism as an energy source.

Commensalism (+/0)

A relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.

Parasitism (+/-)

A relationship where a parasite benefits while harming a host organism.

True Predator

An organism that kills and eats prey for energy.

Herbivore

An organism that eats plants for energy.

Parasite

An organism that uses a host for energy

Parasitoid

An organism that lays eggs inside a host

Symbiosis

A close and long-term interaction between organisms of different species.

Resource Partitioning

The process where species reduce competition by using resources in different ways.

Temporal Partitioning

Species use the same resource at different times.

Spatial Partitioning

Species use different areas of the same habitat.

Morphological Partitioning

Species use resources differently because of evolved body features.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist.

Biome Characteristics

Biomes are determined by average annual temperature and precipitation.

Latitude

The distance north or south of the equator that influences temperature and precipitation patterns.

Tropical Rainforest

Soil Nutrient-poor soil caused by heavy rainfall

Boreal Forest Soil

Nutrient-poor soil because cold temperatures slow decomposition.

Temperate Forest Soil

Nutrient-rich soil because dead organic matter decomposes and adds nutrients.

Shifting Biomes

The movement of biomes as climate changes.

Terrestrial Biome

A land-based biome.

Aquatic Biome

A water-based biome.

Depth in Aquatic Ecosystems

Determines how much sunlight can reach plants and affects photosynthesis.

Temperature in Aquatic Ecosystems

Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen and supports fewer organisms.

Salinity

The amount of salt in water that determines which species can survive.

Flow

The movement of water that affects oxygen levels and which organisms can survive.

Freshwater Ecosystem

An ecosystem with low salt concentration

River

A flowing freshwater ecosystem with high oxygen and nutrient-rich sediments.

Lake

A standing freshwater ecosystem that provides drinking water and contains different zones.

Littoral Zone

The shallow lake zone with sunlight and emergent plants.

Limnetic Zone

The open-water lake zone where sunlight reaches and phytoplankton perform photosynthesis.

Profundal Zone

The deep lake zone where sunlight cannot reach and photosynthesis does not occur.

Benthic Zone

The bottom lake zone with nutrient-rich sediments and organisms like invertebrates.

Wetland

An area where soil is saturated with water for part of the year but shallow enough for plants.

Wetland Benefits

Reduces flooding

Estuary

An area where freshwater rivers meet saltwater oceans.

Salt Marsh

A temperate coastal estuary that provides breeding grounds for fish and shellfish.

Mangrove Swamp

A tropical estuary with mangrove trees that stabilize shorelines and provide habitat.

Coral Reef

A warm

Coral-Algae Mutualism

A relationship where coral provides shelter and CO₂ while algae provides sugars through photosynthesis.

Intertidal Zone

The coastline area between high and low tide where organisms must survive waves and drying.

Photic Zone

The ocean zone where sunlight reaches and photosynthesis occurs.

Aphotic Zone

The ocean zone too deep for sunlight where organisms rely on detritus or chemosynthesis.

Open Ocean

A large marine biome with low productivity per square meter because producers are limited to the photic zone.

Dissolved Oxygen

The amount of oxygen available in water for aquatic organisms.

Nutrient Leaching

The process where rainfall carries nutrients out of soil.

Decomposition

The breakdown of dead organic matter by decomposers.

Adaptation

A trait that helps an organism survive in its environment.