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EnviroCh4
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| evolution | gradual change in species |
| adaptation | acquisition of traits that allow a species to survive in its environment |
| selection pressures | factors in the environment that favor successful reproduction of individuals possessing heritable traits and that reduce viability and fertility of those individuals not possessing those traits |
| critical factor | single environmental factor closest to a tolerance limit for a given species at a given time |
| tolerance limits | minimum and maximum levels of environmental factor |
| habitat | the place or set of environmental conditions in which a particular organism lives |
| ecological niche | either the role played by a species in a biological community or the total set of environmental factors that determine a species distribution |
| endemic | not found anywhere else |
| competitive exclusion principle | no two species can occupy the same ecological niche for long; the one that is more efficient in using available resources will exclude the other |
| resource partitioning | in a bio community, various populations sharing environmental resources through specialization, thereby reducing direct competition |
| speciation | development of a new species |
| geographic isolation | allopatric speciation |
| allopatric speciation | species arise in non-overlapping geographic locations |
| sympatric speciation | species that arise from a common ancestor due to biological or behavioral barriers that cause reproductive isolation even though the organism live in the same place |
| binomials | identify and describe species using Latin, or Latinized nouns and adjs, or names of people or places. names scientists use to avoid confusion |
| intraspecific competition | competition among members of the same species |
| interspecific competition | competition between members of different species |
| predator-mediated competition | a situation in which predation reduces prey populations and gives an advantage to competitors that might not otherwise be successful |
| coevolution | species exert selectie pressure on each other and gradually evolve new features or behaviors as a result of those pressures |
| Batesian mimicry | evolution by one species to resemble the coloration, body shape, or behavior of another species that is protected from predators by a venomous stinger, bad taste, or some other defensive adaptation |
| Mullerian mimicry | evolution of two species, both of which are unpalatable and, have poisonous stingers or some other defense mechanism, to resemble each other |
| symbiosis | beneficial or non-antagonistic relationships between organism; two or more species live intimately together, with their fates linked; enhance survival of one or both partners |
| mutualism | a symbiotic relationship between individuals of two different species in which both species benefit from the association |
| commensalism | type of symbiosis in which one member benefits and the other is unharmed and not benefited |
| parasitism | form of predation; dependency of the parasite on its host |
| keystone species | a species whose impacts on its community or ecosystem are much larger and more influential than would be expected from mere abundance |
| primary productivity | synthesis of organic materials (biomass) by green plants using the energy captured in photosynthesis |
| abundance | total number of organisms in a biological community |
| diversity | number of different species, ecological niches, or genetic varation present |
| complexity | the number of species at each trophic level and the number of trophic levels in a community |
| edge effects | boundary between one habitat and its neighbors |
| ecotones | boundaries between adjacent communities/ ecosystems |
| climax community | a relatively stable, long-lasting community reached in a successional series; usually determined by climate and soil type |
| primary succession | an ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed |
| secondary succession | succession on a site where an existing community has been disrupted |
| pioneer species | in primary succession on a terrestrial site, the plants, lichens, and microbes that first colonize the site |
| disturbance | any force that disrupts the establish patterns of species diversity and abundance, community structure, or community properties |
| disturbance-adapted species | species that depend on disturbances to succeed |
Created by:
AlanaR
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