2.1 Individuals pops communities and ecosys (Part 1,2,3,4)

Ecosystem

A group of species interacting with each other and their abiotic environment.

Biotic Components

Living parts of an ecosystem, including producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Abiotic Components

Non-living factors of an ecosystem, such as temperature, sunlight, pH, and salinity.

Habitat

An environment containing everything an organism needs to survive.

Ecological Niche

A species' role defined by spatial habitat, nutrition, and species relationships.

Keystone Species

A species with an exceptionally large environmental impact relative to its population.

Taxonomy

The scientific study and classification of organisms.

Binomial System

The naming convention for organisms using Genus and species format.

Species Naming Rules

Genus starts with a capital letter, species with a lower-case letter, in italics.

Dichotomous Key

A taxonomic identification tool based on a series of choices split into two traits.

Coral Bleaching

The expulsion of algae by coral polyps caused by high water temperatures.

Salinity

The concentration of salt in the soil or water of a habitat.

Quadrat Sampling

A method using gridded areas to estimate % cover and frequency of non-motile populations.

Lincoln Index

A formula used to estimate motile population size using the capture-mark-release-recapture technique.

Simpson Diversity Index

A quantitative measure of species richness and evenness within a given habitat.

R-strategists

Organisms exhibiting J-shaped exponential population growth followed by a sharp population decline.

K-strategists

Organisms exhibiting S-shaped population growth that stabilize near the environment's carrying capacity.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size an environment can sustainably support.