| A | B |
|---|
| ecology | study of the "house" |
| primary producers | plants and other organisms that produce their own food |
| Autotrophs | "self-feeders" or primary producers |
| consumers | organisms that "eat" other food |
| heterotrophs | "other-feeders" or consumers |
| trophic level | one feeding stage in nature |
| water cycle | the cycle of transpiration, evaporation, condensation and precipitation |
| carbon cycle | the exchange of oxygen and cargon dioxide |
| food chain | one group of animals which feed on each other |
| food web | many food chains connected together |
| population | a group of individuals of the same species |
| growth rate | the rate of population change |
| exponential rate | a rapid change in the population |
| zero population growth | birth rate + immigration rate = death rate + emigration rate |
| carrying capacity | population reaching zero population growth |
| greenhouse effect | more carbon dioxide than oxygen in atmosphere |
| acid rain | the presence of sulphuric acid in precipitation |
| niche | the "job" that an organism performs |
| habitat | an area that an organism lives in |
| biome | an area defined by land, climate, and organisms |
| community | the various species in an ecosystem |
| biotic factors | living (ie: plant and animal) parts of an ecosystem |
| abiotic factors | nonliving (ie: soil and climate) parts of an ecosystem |
| biodiversity | the variety of life |
| omnivore | a heterotroph that eats plants and animals |
| detrivore | a heterotroph that eats decaying material |
| competition | the struggle with another organism for resources |
| population density | number of individuals of a given species in a specific area |
| random dispersion | No clear pattern to how a species is spaced in an area |
| even despersion | individuals of a species are located at regular intervals |
| clumped dispersion | individuals of a species are bunched together in clusters |
| Global Warming | Possible outcome of the greenhouse effect |
| Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) | Major cause of ozone destruction |
| Transpiration | The release of water by plants (dew) |
| Evaporation | The gas state of water |
| Precipitation | The release of water by clouds; in form of rain, snow, hail, etc. |
| Condensation | The cooling of water vapor, resulting in a cloud |
| herbivore | A heterotroph that eats primarily plants |
| carnivore | A heterotroph that eats primarily animals |
| Greenhouse effect | Interception of heat back to space |
| population | All of the members of a species that live in one place at one time |
| Ecological model | Visual, verbal or mathematical depiction of ecological concepts |
| Tolerance curve | A graph of performance versus values of an environmental variable |
| Optimal range | Part of tolerance curve that is ideal for an organism |
| Biotic factors | living parts of the environment |
| Abiotic factors | nonliving parts of the environment |
| Conformers | Organisms that do not regulate their internal conditions |
| Regulators | Organisms that can regulate some of their internal conditions |
| Dormancy | A state of reduced activity |
| Migration | Movement to an moe favorable habitat |
| Fundamental niche | Range of conditions that a species can potentially use |
| Realized niche | Range of resources that a species actually uses |
| Generalists | Species with a broad niche |
| Specialists | Species with a narrow niche |
| Birth Rate | Number of births occurring in a period of time |
| Death Rate | Number of deaths in a period of time |
| Immigration | Movement of individuals into a population |
| Emigration | Movement of individuals out of a population |
| Limiting factor | A factor that restrains the growth of a population |
| Density-independent factors | Reduce the population regardless of the population's size |
| Density-dependent factors | Reduce population because of the increasing population density |
| Inbreeding | Mating with relatives |
| Developed country | Modern, industrialized country |
| Developing country | Fast-growing, poor countries |
| Predator | A species that captures, kills and consumes another individual |
| Prey | A species which is captured, illed and consumed by another individual |
| Mimicry | Resemblance of a poisonous or distasteful species |
| Parasite | One individual feeds off another, harming it |
| Competition | Needing the same resource as another species |
| Competitive exclusion | One species elimination due to competition for th esame resource |
| Character displacement | Evolutionary change due to competition between individuals |
| Resource partitioning | Sharing resources such as a tree by zones |
| Mutualism | Cooperative relationship where both species benefit |
| Commensalism | Interaction in which one species benefits and the other is not affected |
| Species richness | Number of species a community contains |
| Species diversity | Number and relative abundance of each species |
| Stability | A community's resistence to change |
| Primary succession | Developement of a community where there was previously no life |
| Secondary succession | The sequential replacement of species after a disruption |
| Climax community | A stable end point of a community through succession |
| Nitrogen cycle | The pathway that allows proteins and nucleic acids to be made |
| Nitrogen fixation | Conversion of nitrogen to ammonia |
| Eutrophic | Lakes rich in organic matter and vegetation |
| Oligotrophic | Lakes that contain little organic matter |
