| A | B |
|---|
| population density | # of individuals per unit area |
| immigration | movement into an area |
| emigration | movement out of an area |
| exponential growth | individuals reproduce at a constant rate producing a j-shaped curve |
| logistic growth | population's growth slows or stops producing an s-shaped curve |
| carrying capacity | largest # of individuals that an environment can support |
| limiting factor | causes population growth to decrease |
| density-dependent limiting factor | limiting only when the population density reaches a certain level; predation |
| density-independent limiting factor | Affect all populations in similar ways, regardless of size; tornado |
| renewable resource | can regenerate quickly and is replaceable; trees |
| nonrenewable resource | cannot be replenished through natural processes; oil, coal |
| deforestation | loss of forests/trees |
| acid rain | contains nitric and sulfuric compounds with water vapor in the air; harmful to trees and aquatic ecosystems |
| biological magnification | concentrations of harmful substances increase in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain |
| invasive species | plants and animals that have migrated to place where they are not native; kudzu, Dutch Elm |
| sustainability | wise use of natural resources |
| biosphere | parts of planet where life exists |
| species | can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| population | group including all the same species |
| community | living things in a defined area |
| ecosystem | living and nonliving thingsl in a defined area |
| biome | ecosystems with the same climate and similar dominant communities |
| autotroph | makes its own food |
| heterotroph | gets food from other organisms |
| photosynthesis | using radiant energy to make food |
| chemosynthesis | using inorganic chemicals to make carbohydrates (food) |
| herbivore | eats only plants |
| carnivore | eats only animals |
| omnivore | eats plants and animals |
| detritivore | feed on animal remains and dead matter |
| decomposer | breaks down organic matter |
| food chain | steps showing transfer of energy by eating and being eaten |
| food web | all the interconnected food chains in an ecosystem |
| trophic level | each step in a food chain or web |
| energy pyramid | shows energy available at different trophic levels |
| biomass pyramid | shows amount of living tissue at each trophic level |
| niche | role of an organism in an ecosystem |
| 10% | amount of energy passed from one trophic level to the next |
| predator | captures, kills and consumes another organism |
| prey | the organism eaten by the predator |
| mutualism | both organisms benefit from their association |
| commensalism | one organism benefits, the other is not affected |
| parasitism | one organism benefits, the other is harmed |
| competition | two or more organisms want (and fight for) the same resource (like water) |
| biodiversity | the variety of different organisms on Earth |
