Ecology:

• Ecology is the natural science that studies the relationships among living organisms (including humans) and their physical environment.

Biome:

• A biome is a major ecological community type characterized by specific climate, vegetation, and animal life.

Abiotic:

• Abiotic refers to non-living components or attributes of an ecosystem.

Biotic:

• Biotic factors are living components of an ecosystem, including plants, animals, and other organisms.

Ecosystem:

• An ecosystem is a geographic area where living organisms, weather, and landscapes interact to form a bubble of life.

Community:

• A community refers to all the different species living in a specific area and interacting with one another.

Invasive Species:

• Invasive species are non-native organisms that disrupt the balance of an ecosystem by outcompeting native species.

Bioremediation:

• Bioremediation is the use of living organisms (such as bacteria) to clean up environmental pollutants.

Population:

• A population consists of all the individuals of a particular species living in a defined area.

Species:

• A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Niche:

• A niche refers to an organism’s role within its ecosystem, including its habitat, food sources, and interactions.

Realized Niche:

• The realized niche is the actual ecological role an organism occupies in its environment, considering interactions with other species.

Fundamental Niche:

• The fundamental niche represents the full range of environmental conditions where a species could potentially survive and reproduce.

Symbiosis:

• Symbiosis refers to close interactions between different species, which can be mutualistic, commensal, or parasitic.

Primary Productivity:

• Primary productivity is the rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic organisms into organic matter.

Biological Augmentation:

• Biological augmentation involves introducing beneficial organisms to enhance ecosystem functions.

Mutualism:

• Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Commensalism:

• Commensalism is a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits, and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Parasitism:

• Parasitism is a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits at the expense of the other.

Primary Succession:

• Primary succession occurs in a newly formed habitat with no existing soil.

Secondary Succession:

• Secondary succession occurs in an existing ecosystem after a disturbance.

Clumped Dispersion:

• Clumped dispersion refers to the uneven distribution of individuals within a population.

Water Cycle:

• The water cycle describes the movement of water through the atmosphere, land, and oceans.

Carrying Capacity:

• Carrying capacity is the maximum population size an environment can sustain.

Random Dispersion:

• Random dispersion occurs when individuals are distributed unpredictably.

Uniform Dispersion:

• Uniform dispersion results from evenly spaced individuals within a population.

R Strategists:

• R strategists are species that reproduce rapidly and have many offspring.

K Strategists:

• K strategists are species that invest heavily in a few offspring with high survival rates.

Exponential Growth:

• Exponential growth occurs when a population multiplies rapidly under ideal conditions.

Logistic Growth:

• Logistic growth considers limiting factors and stabilizes population growth.

Nitrogen Cycle:

• The nitrogen cycle describes the movement of nitrogen through ecosystems.

Batesian Mimicry:

• Batesian mimicry is when a harmless species resembles a toxic or dangerous species.

Keystone Species:

• Keystone species have a disproportionate impact on their ecosystem.

Trophic Level:

• Trophic levels represent positions in a food chain or web.

Food Chain:

• A food chain depicts the transfer of energy from one organism to another.

Food Web:

• A food web consists of all the interconnected and overlapping food chains within a single ecosystem. It represents the complex network of feeding relationships among different species.

Density Independent Factor:

• Density independent factors refer to influences on a population's birth or death rates that are unrelated to population density.

Carbon Cycle:

• The carbon cycle describes the movement of carbon in elemental and combined states on Earth.

Aposematic Mimicry:

• Aposematic mimicry refers to the phenomenon where animals advertise their unprofitability or toxicity to potential predators through conspicuous signals such as bright colors, patterns, sounds, or other perceivable characteristics.