AP Enviornmental science unit 1 Vocab

coevolution

evolution in which two or more species interact and exert selective pressures on each other that can lead each species to undergo adaptations

commensalism

an interaction between organisms of different species in which one type of organism benefits and the other type is neither helped nor harmed to any great degree.

ecological succession

process in which communities of plant and animal species in a particular area are replaced over time by a series of different often more complex communities.

environmental resistance

all of the limiting factors that act together to limit the growth of a population

interspecific competition

attempts by members of two or more species to use the same limited resources in an ecosystem

mutualism

type of species interaction in which both participating species generally benefit.

parasitism

interaction between species in which one organism, called the parasite, preys on another organism, called the host, by living on or in the host.

persistence

ability of a living system such as a grassland or forest to survive moderate disturbances.

pioneer species

first hardy species often microbes, mosses, and lichens that begin colonizing a site as the first stage of ecological succession.

predator

organism that captures and feeds on some or all parts of an organism of another species (the prey).

predator-prey relationship

relationship that has evolved between two organisms, in which one organism has becomes the prey for the other, the latter called the predator.

prey

organism that is killed by an organism of another species (the predator) and serves as its source of food.

primary ecological succession

ecological succession in an area without soil or bottom sediments.

resilience

ability of a living system such as a forest or pond to be restored through secondary ecological succession after a severe disturbance

resource partitioning

process of dividing up resources in an ecosystem so that species with similar needs (overlapping ecological niches) use the same scarce resources at different times, in different ways, or in different places.

secondary ecological succession

ecological succession in an area in which natural vegetation has been removed or destroyed but the soil or bottom sediment has not been destroyed

biodiversity

variety of different species (species diversity), genetic variability among individuals within each species (genetic diversity), variety of ecosystems (ecological diversity), and functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities (functional diversity).

biome

terrestrial regions inhabited by certain types of life, especially vegetation

ecological diversity

the variety of forests, deserts, grasslands, oceans, streams, lakes, and other biological communities interacting with one another and with their nonliving environment.

ecotone

transition area between two biomes.

edge effect

the changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two habitats.

functional diversity

biological and chemical processes of functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for the survival of species and biological communities.

genetic diversity

variability in the genetic makeup among individuals within a single species

species diversity

number of different species (species richness) combined with the relative abundance of individuals within each of those species (species evenness) in a given area.

species evenness

degree to which comparative numbers of individuals of each of the species present in a community are similar.

species richness

variety of species, measured by the number of different species contained in a community.

climate

physical properties of the troposphere of an area based on analysis of its weather records over a long period (at least 30 years). The two main factors determining an area's climate are its average temperature, with its seasonal variations, and the average amount and distribution of precipitation over at least 30 years.

convection

movement of warmer molecules that rise and become less dense while colder molecules sink and become more dense, ultimately resulting in the transfer of heat.

convection cell

cyclical pattern of air that rises and falls due to convection.

Coriolis effect

the deflection of an air mass to the east as it moves north or south away from the equator, or a deflection west as it moves toward the equator. These deflections occur because the earth's eastward rotation is faster at the equator than at any other point on its surface.

greenhouse effect

natural effect that releases heat in the atmosphere near the earth's surface. Water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases in the lower atmosphere absorb some of the infrared radiation (heat) radiated by the earth's surface and release some of it into the lower atmosphere.

greenhouse gases

gases in the earth's lower atmosphere (troposphere) that cause the greenhouse effect.

gyres

ocean currents that are driven by prevailing winds and the Coriolis effect, rotating clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.

insolation

input of solar energy in a given area.

latitude

distance from the equator.

ocean currents

mass movements of surface water produced by prevailing winds blowing over the oceans.

permafrost

perennially frozen layer of soil that forms when the water there freezes. It is found in the arctic tundra.

rain shadow effect

low precipitation on the leeward side of a mountain when prevailing winds move up and over a high mountain or high mountain range and create semiarid and arid conditions on the leeward side of a high mountain range.

weather

short-term changes in the temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloud cover, wind direction and speed, and other conditions in the troposphere at a given place and time.