Unit 7/8: Evolution and Ecology Vocabulary
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.
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.