Vocabulary

Chapter 50. Population- The total number of persons inhabiting a country, city, or any district or area. Community- A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage. Ecosystem- A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment. Biosphere- The ecosystem comprising the entire earth and the living organisms that inhabit it. Habitat- The natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism Niche- The position or function of an organism in a community of plants and animals. Abiotic- The absence of life or living organisms. Biotic- The presence of life or living organisms. Rain Shadow- A region in the lee of mountains that receives less rainfall than the region windward of the mountains. Biome-A complex biotic community characterized by distinctive plant and animal species and maintained under the climatic conditions of the region, especially such a community that has developed to climax. Regulators- A person or thing that regulates. Conformers- To be or become similar in form, nature, or character. Chapter 52 Birth rate- The proportion of births to the total population in a place in a given time, usually expressed as a quantity per 1000 of population. Death rate- The number of deaths per unit, usually 1000, of population in a given place and time. Immigration- The act of immigrating. Emigration- An act or instance of emigrating.

Population Size- The total number of inhabitants constituting a particular race, class, or group in a specified area. Population density- The number of individuals, such as inhabitants or housing units, per unit of area. Dispersion- The degree of scatter of data, usually about an average value, such as the median. Semelparity- Something reproduced, especially in the faithfulness of its resemblance to the form and elements of the original Iteroparity- The sexual or asexual process by which organisms generate new individuals of the same kind; procreation. Exponential population growth- Exponential population growth is when the birth rate is constant over a period of time and isn't limited by food or disease. Logistic population growth- Population growth in which the growth rate decreases with increasing number of individuals until it becomes zero when the population reaches a maximum. Carrying Capacity- Population growth in which the growth rate decreases with increasing number of individuals until it becomes zero when the population reaches a maximum. R- Selected species- A species that shows the following characteristics: short lifespan; early reproduction; low biomass. K- Selected species- A type of selection that favors organisms with a low rate of reproduction, but whose populations expand to the maximum number of individuals that the habitat can support. Intraspecific species- A rising or occurring within a species Density- Dependent Factors- A factor whose effects on the size or growth of population vary with the population density. Density- Independent Factors- Any factor limiting the size of a population whose effect is not dependent on the number of individuals in the population. Survivorship Curve- A graph showing the number of individuals of a population that survive to a particular age Limiting Factor- A factor present in an environment that controls a process, particularly the growth, abundance or distribution of a population of organisms in an ecosystem.

Biotic Potential- The potential growth a population of living things can expect if it were living under ideal environmental circumstances. It is when the population just keeps on growing and growing. Chapter 53 Community Ecology- The study concerned with the interactions between species within an ecological community. Species Richness- The number of different species represented in a set or collection of individuals. Relative Abundance- The number of organisms of a particular kind as a percentage of the total number of organisms of a given area or community; the number of birds of a particular species as a percentage of the total bird population of a given area Interspecific Competition- The competition for resources between species which is a form of environmental Resistance to populations of a species. Compare to intraspecific Competition. interspecific Competition is less dominant than the effects of intraspecific Competition on the density of prairie grass and barley. Competitive Exclusion Principle- The principle that when two species compete for the same critical resources within an environment, one of them will eventually outcompete and displace the other. Character Displacement- The divergence of adaptations or other characteristics in two similar species in locations where the animals share habitat. This divergence is spurred on by competition between the two species in areas where their ranges overlap. Parasitism- A relation between organisms in which one lives as a parasite on another. Predation- A form of symbiotic relationship between two organisms of unlike species in which one of them acts as predator that captures and feeds on the other organism that serves as the prey. Aposematic coloration- The conspicuously recognizable markings of an animal, such as a skunk, that serve to warn off potential predators. Mimicry- The resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for concealment and protection from predators. Fundamental Niche- The full range of environmental conditions and resources an organism can possibly occupy and use, especially when limiting factors are absent in its habitat.

Realized Niche- The part of fundamental niche that an organism occupies as a result of limiting factors present in its habitat. Resource Partitioning- The way in which resources in an ecosystem are divided up by the species who need them, each using them in a different way. Symbiosis- A close, prolonged association between two or more different organisms of different species that may, but does not necessarily, benefit each member. Commensalism- A symbiotic relationship between two organisms of different species in which one derives some benefit while the other is unaffected. Mutualism- A relationship between two species of organisms in which both benefit from the association. Keystone Species- A species whose presence and role within an ecosystem has a disproportionate effect on other organisms within the system. A keystone species is often a dominant predator whose removal allows a prey population to explode and often decreases overall diversity. Primary Succession- The development of plant and animal life in an area without topsoil; the development of biotic communities in a previously uninhabited and barren habitat with little or no soil. Secondary Succession- The ecological succession that occurs on a preexisting soil after the primary succession has been disrupted or destroyed due to a disturbance that reduced the population of the initial inhabitants Pioneer Species-A plant species which colonize, previously, uncolonized land, usually leading to ecological succession. Since uncolonized land usually has thin, poor quality soils with few nutrients pioneer species are typically very hardy plants, with adaptions such as long roots, root nodes containing nitrogen fixing bacteria, and leaves which reduce transpiration. Climax Community- An ecological community in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment. A climax community is the final stage of succession, remaining relatively unchanged until destroyed by an event such as fire or human interference. Chapter 54 Trophic Levels- A position in a food chain or Ecological Pyramid occupied by a group of organisms with similar feeding mode.

Primary Producers- Autotrophic organisms that synthesise organic materials from inorganic materials, effectively introducing new organic material into the environment that the primary consumers can feed upon and so forth. Secondary Producers- A secondary consumer consumes the animals that eat only plants. Secondary consumers primarily consume meat and obtain their sustenance from either capturing and killing, or being predatory, or by scavenging or feeding on already dead animals. Food Chain- A succession of organisms in an ecological community that constitutes a continuation of food energy from one organism to another as each consumes a lower member and in turn is preyed upon by a higher member. Food Web- Interrelated food chains in an ecological community. Detritivores- An organism that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter, returning essential nutrients to the ecosystem. Detritivores include microorganisms such as bacteria and protists as well as larger organisms such as fungi, insects, worms, and isopod crustaceans. In a food chain, detritivores are primary consumers. Biomass- The total mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental area. Ecological Pyramids- A graphical representation in the shape of a pyramid to show the feeding relationship of groups of organisms, and the flow of energy or biomass through the different trophic levels in a given ecosystem. Biochemical Cycle- The flow of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms and the physical environment. Chemicals absorbed or ingested by organisms are passed through the food chain and returned to the soil, air, and water by such mechanisms as respiration, excretion, and decomposition. As an element moves through this cycle, it often forms compounds with other elements as a result of metabolic processes in living tissues and of natural reactions in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, or lithosphere Water Cycle- The cycle of evaporation and condensation that controls the distribution of the earth's water as it evaporates from bodies of water, condenses, precipitates, and returns to those bodies of water. Carbon Cycle- The combined processes, including photosynthesis, decomposition, and respiration, by which carbon as a component of various compounds cycles between its major reservoirsthe atmosphere, oceans, and living organisms. Nitrogen Cycle- The circulation of nitrogen in nature, consisting of a cycle of chemical reactions in which atmospheric nitrogen is compounded, dissolved in rain, and deposited in the soil,

where it is assimilated and metabolized by bacteria and plants, eventually returning to the atmosphere by bacterial decomposition of organic matter. Phosphorus Cycle- The cycling of phosphorus between the biotic and abiotic components of the environment. Nitrogen Fixation- The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into compounds, such as ammonia, by natural agencies or various industrial processes. Biodiversity- Diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment. Chapter Questions Chapter 50 STS #1) they made the right decision, to allow the fire to burn, because it is the natural cause, the vegetation will burn but seeds that lay dormant will sprout, and the ashes of the burnt trees will act as fertilizer. #2) the government shouldnt provide relief to those who build homes there, if the area is known to burn then individuals shouldnt build homes on chaparrals. Chapter 52 CQ #2) they do not have enough chances to reproduce just like other animals such as insects so the endangered animals have less of a chance to reproduce. Type I generation curve. STS) Chapter 53 CQ) Chapter 54 CQ #3)