ap bio ecology

please lock in molly like actually

Biotic factor

Any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact

abiotic factors

Nonliving components of environment.

population

a group of organisms of the same species populating a given area

Community

All the different populations that live together in an area

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Biome

A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

habitat

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Niche

An organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or how it makes its living.

Biodiversity

the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

population density

Number of individuals per unit area

population distribution

a description of how individuals are distributed with respect to one another

clumped distribution

the most common type of population distribution where many members of the population live close together

random distribution

distribution in which the location of members in a population is totally random, location of each individual is determined by chance

uniform distribution

Distribution where populations are spaced evenly

density dependent factors

factor that limits a population more as population density increases

density independent factors

limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways, regardless of population size

exponential growth

Population growth that is unhindered because of the abundance of resources for an ever-increasing population.

logistic growth

Growth pattern in which a population's growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth

biotic potential

the potential growth of a population if it could grow in perfect conditions with no limiting factors

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

cohort

A population group unified by a specific common characteristic, such as age, and subsequently treated as a statistical unit.

survivorship

the percentage of members of a group that are likely to survive to any given age

survivorship curve

Graph showing the number of survivors in different age groups for a particular species.

species richness

the number of different species in a community

species diversity

The number and relative abundance of species in a biological community.

Simpson's Diversity Index

( N-(N-1) ) / ( total n (n-1) )

N = total number of organisms

n = number of individuals of each species

A measure of diversity between similar ecosystems

keystone species

a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.

competition

the struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources

Predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

Symbiosis

A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

Commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

invasive species

species that enter new ecosystems and multiply, harming native species and their habitats

ecological succession

series of gradual changes that occur in a community following a disturbance

pioneer species

First species to populate an area during primary succession

climax community

A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species over time

primary succession

An ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed

secondary succession

Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil

autotrophs

Organisms that are able to make their own food

primary producers

the first producers of energy-rich compounds that are later used by other organisms

heterotrophs

An organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by-products.

herbivores

Consumers that eat only plants

carnivores

Consumers that eat only animals

Omnivores

Consumers that eat both plants and animals.

scavengers

Animals that consume the carcasses of other animals that have been killed by predators or have died of other causes

Detritivore

organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter

decomposers

organisms that break down wastes and dead organisms and return raw materials to the environment

trophic level

Each step in a food chain or food web

primary consumer

consumer that feeds directly on producers

secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers

tertiary consumer

An organism that eats secondary consumers

quaternary consumer

An organism that eats tertiary consumers

primary productivity

rate at which organic matter is created by producers in an ecosystem

biomass

total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

energy pyramids

a diagram that shows the energy that is available at each level of an ecosystem

nutrient cycling

The circulation of chemicals necessary for life, from the environment (mostly from soil and water) through organisms and back to the environment.

Eutrophication

excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.

acid precipitation

Conversion of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides to acids that return to Earth as rain, snow, or fog

climate change

Change in the statistical properties of the climate system when considered over periods of decades

Biomagnification

the concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely disbursed.