abiotic: Non-living factors affecting the ecosystem
endangered: Species at risk of extinction
omnivore: Organism that eats both plants and animals
acid rain: Rainfall made acidic by atmospheric pollution
environment: Surroundings where organisms live
parasitism: Relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another
apex predator: Top predator with no natural enemies
eutrophication: Excess nutrients in water bodies causing algal blooms
parasite/host: Organism that lives on/in another (host) and benefits from it
autotroph: Organism that produces its own food
exotic: Non-native species introduced to an ecosystem
poaching: Illegal hunting of wildlife
biodiversity: Variety of life in an ecosystem
exponential growth: Rapid increase in population size
population: Group of individuals of the same species
biomagnification: Increase in concentration of toxins in organisms higher in the food chain
extant: Still in existence
positive feedback loop: Process where a change leads to further changes in the same direction
biomass: Total mass of living matter in a given area
extinct: No longer existing
predator: Organism that hunts and eats other organisms
biome: Large area characterized by its vegetation, soil, and climate
food chain: Linear flow of energy between organisms
prey: Organism that is hunted and eaten
biotic: Living factors affecting the ecosystem
food web: Complex interconnections of food chains in an ecosystem
primary consumer: Organism that feeds on producers (herbivores)
carnivore: Organism that eats other animals
global climate change: Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns
producer: Organism that produces energy from sunlight or chemicals
carrying capacity: Maximum population size that an environment can sustain
greenhouse gas: Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere
resilience: Ability to recover from disturbances
CFC: Chlorofluorocarbons, ozone-depleting chemicals
habitat: Place where an organism lives
resource: Naturally occurring materials used by organisms
climate: Long-term weather patterns of an area
herbivore: Organism that eats plants
resource partitioning: Division of resources to avoid competition
climax community: Stable community that undergoes little change
heterotroph: Organism that consumes other organisms for energy
secondary consumer: Organism that feeds on primary consumers
climograph: Graph of climate data
interspecific competition: Competition between different species
species: Group of organisms capable of interbreeding
commensalism: One organism benefits while the other is unaffected
intraspecific competition: Competition among the same species
succession: Process of change in an ecological community
community: All the different populations in an area
invasive: Non-native species that disrupt ecosystems
symbiosis: Close relationship between different species
competition: Struggle between organisms for the same resources
keystone species: Species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem
tertiary consumer: Organism that feeds on secondary consumers
competitive exclusion: Principle that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist
limiting factor: Condition that limits growth of a population
threatened: Species likely to become endangered
consumer: Organism that consumes other organisms for energy
logistic growth: Population growth that levels off as resources become limited
tipping point: Threshold beyond which significant changes occur
DDT: Pesticide that causes ecological harm
mutualism: Relationship where both species benefit
trophic level: Position in food chain/web
decomposer: Organism that breaks down waste
negative feedback loop: Process where a change leads to counteracting effects
trophic pyramid: Representation of energy distribution among trophic levels
detritivore: Organism that feeds on dead organic matter
niche: Role of an organism in its habitat
weather: Short-term atmospheric conditions
ecosystem: Community of living organisms and their environment
ocean acidification: Decrease in pH of ocean due to absorbing CO2
Food Chains: Short due to energy loss and limited resources.
Autotrophs vs. Heterotrophs: Autotrophs produce food; heterotrophs consume it; decomposers recycle nutrients.
Consumer Categories: - Herbivore: Plant eater
Carnivore: Meat eater
Detritivore: Feeds on dead matter
Omnivore: Eats both plants and animals.
Food Web Example: Grass (producer), grain (producer), rabbit (primary consumer), mouse (primary consumer), snake (secondary consumer), fox (tertiary consumer), hawk (tertiary consumer). Arrows indicate energy flow.
Energy Flow: Enters ecosystem via sunlight; leaves as heat or through consumers.
Significance of Autotrophs: Essential for energy conversion and ecosystem function.
Nutrient Cycling vs. Energy Flow: Nutrients are recycled; energy flows through and is lost.
Feedback Loops: - Positive: Accelerates change (e.g., climate warming).
Negative: Stabilizes system (e.g., population control).
Mate Selection: Important for species continuity; done through signals and displays.
Sequential Hermaphroditism: Organism changes sex to maximize reproduction success.
Population Growth: Unlimited resources lead to exponential growth; limited by predators, disease, and resources, resulting in logistic growth.
Disturbances: Permanent (habitat destruction) vs. temporary (natural disasters).
Increasing Carrying Capacity: Sustainable practices and resource management.
Limiting Factors: Density-dependent (e.g., food scarcity) vs. density-independent (e.g., natural disasters).
Succession Dynamics: Species replace others as they adapt to new conditions.
Succession Types: Primary (developing on lifeless surfaces) vs. secondary (after disturbances).
Ecosystem Recovery: Stable ecosystems recover via species turnover; stressed ecosystems may struggle.
Energy Transfer: ~10% of energy moves to the next trophic level; the rest is lost as heat.
Predator/Prey Dynamics: Predator increase reduces prey, and prey increase can support more predators.
Symbiosis Examples: - Mutualism: Bees and flowers
Commensalism: Barnacles on whales
Parasitism: Ticks on animals.
Avoiding Competition: Animals may use different resources or habitats.
Exotic Species Impact: Can outcompete natives, disrupt food webs, and alter habitats.
Human Impacts: Pollution, overexploitation, habitat destruction.
Endangerment Causes: Habitat loss, climate change, pollution.
Species Extinction Rate: Current rates exceed natural background rates, signaling a biodiversity crisis.
Biodiversity Importance: Maintains ecosystem stability, resilience, and resource availability.
Atmospheric CO2 Issues: Global warming and ocean acidification.
Acid Rain Causes: Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in atmosphere; harms ecosystems.
Ozone Depletion Causes: CFCs harm stratospheric ozone, protecting life from UV radiation.