Biology Vocab

Niche

Specific role a species has in environment

Population

group of individuals of the same species that live in the same geographic area

Community

an interacting group of various species living in a common location at the same time

Ecosystem

living organisms interact with each other and their non-living environment

Biome

geographical region characterized by its specific climate

population ecology

how and why the characteristics change (birth rates, death rates, immigration, emmigration)

density dependent

environmental variables that impact the environment depending the population

density independent

environment variables affected regardless of populatiom

logistic growth

model of population growth when resources are limited

r

the maximum rate at which a population can increase

N

population size

k

carrying capacity (maximum number of individuals that can be supported)

r-selected species

reproductive strategy focuses on producing a large amount of offspring as quickly as possible

k-selected species

evolutionary strategy focuses on longtime production and survival

percolation

slow movement of filtering a liquid through porous material

aquifer

underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock that stores groundwater

transpiration

the movement of water through a plant and its evaporation from parts like leaves

vapor transport

the movement of water through the atmosphere

nitrogen fixation

breaks down N2 (nitrogen) and moves it from the air into ammonium

assimilation

ammonium is used and adapted into important biological molecules (dna, rna, protein)

nitrification

converting ammonium into nitrates for the plants that prefer nitrates, happens best in high oxygen environments

nitrifying bacteria

the bacteria used for nitrification

ammonification

decomposed living things returns nitrogen back to the soil

denitrification

bacteria converts nitrate into nitrogen gas, best in low oxygen environments