Environmental Biology Exam 2

Ecology

the study of interactions organisms have with their environment and other organisms.

Habitat

the natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or other organism

niche

the role a species plays in its ecosystem, including the conditions it needs to survive and how it interacts with other species and the environment

Abiotic

the non-living physical and chemical components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, temperature, water, soil, wind, and salinity, which influence the survival and distribution of living organisms within that environment

Biotic

all the living organisms within an ecosystem, including plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, that interact with each other and influence the environment around them

Keystone Species

A species that impacts its community more than its mere abundance would predict, often altering ecosystem structure

Primary Productivity (gross vs net)

gross primary productivity (GPP), which is the total amount of energy captured by plants, or net primary productivity (NPP), which is the amount of energy left over after plants use some of that energy for their own respiration, representing the energy actually available to other organisms in the ecosystem

Nutrient Cycle

the continuous process by which nutrients are exchanged between living organisms and the environment, and recycled back into the ecosystem

Organic vs inorganic compounds

Organic compounds are generally complex molecules derived from or produced by living organisms and have carbon-hydrogen bonds. Inorganic compounds are generally more simple molecules derived from nonliving components, like metals, and have no carbon-hydrogen bonds.

evolution

differences in the gene frequencies within a population from one generation to the next

Natural Selection

the process by which organisms best adapted to the environment survive to reproduce, leaving more offspring than less well-adapted individuals

artificial selection

a process in which humans decide which individuals breed and which do not in attempt to produce a population of plants or animals with desired traits

coevolution

a special type of natural selection in which two species each provide the selective pressure that determined which traits are favored by natural selection in the other

Biodiversity Hotspot

regions that contain a high level of species diversity, many endemic species (species not found anywhere else in the world) and a significant number of threatened or endangered species

extinction

the complete disappearance of a species of plant, animal, or other organism from Earth

endemism

the term used to describe the distribution of a species that is native to a specific geographic area, such as an island, lake, or mountain range

Background Extinction Rate

the average rate of extinction that occurs before the appearance of humans or that occurs between mass extinction events

Mass Extinction Event

when species have gone extinct at much greater rates than during intervening times, each event leading to the loss of 75% or more of the species present on earth

Fossil Record

the collection of all preserved remains, impressions, or traces of organisms from past geological ages

transitional form

a fossilized organism that exhibits traits characteristic of both an ancestral species and its later evolved descendant species

reserve

a protected area of land set aside to preserve and protect certain animals, plants, or both

watershed

the land area surrounding a body of water over which water such as rain can flow and potentially enter that body of water

stormwater runoff

rainwater or snowmelt that flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as roads, roofs, and parking lots, without soaking into the ground

coral bleaching

a stress response in a coral in which the mutualistic algal partner is expelled; this weakens and can even kill the coral if it is not repopulated soon

microplastics

small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life