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Biology Vocab
Chapter 14 Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Combined biotic and abiotic factors found in the area where an organism lives. |
| Ecological Niche | All of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce in an ecosystem. |
| Competitive Exclusion | Theory that states that no two species can occupy the same niche at the same time. |
| Ecological Equivalents | Organisms that share a similar niche but live in different geographical regions. |
| Competition | Ecological relationship in which two organisms attempt to obtain the same resource. |
| Predation | Process by which one organism hunts and kills another organism for food. |
| Symbiosis | Ecological relationship between members of at least two different species that live in direct contact with one another. |
| Mutualism | Ecological relationship between two species in which each species gets a benefit from the interaction. |
| Commensalism | Ecological relationship in which one species receives a benefit but the other species is not affected one way or another. |
| Parasitism | Ecological relationship in which one organism benefits by harming another organism. |
| Population Density | Measure of individuals living in a defined area. |
| Population Dispersion | Way in which individuals of a population are spread out over an area or volume. |
| Survivorship Curve | Graph showing the surviving members of each age group of a population over time. |
| Immigration | Movement of individuals into a population. |
| Emigration | Movement of individuals out of a population. |
| Exponential Growth | Dramatic increase in population over a short period of time. |
| Logistic Growth | Population growth that is characterized by a period of slow growth, followed by a period of exponential growth, followed by another period of almost no growth. |
| Carrying Capacity | Number of individuals that the resources of an environment can normally and persistently support. |
| Population Crash | Dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time. |
| Limiting Factor | Environment factor that limits the growth and size of population. |
| Density-Dependent Limiting Factor | Environmental resistance that affects a population that has become overly crowded. |
| Density-Independent Limiting Factor | Environmental resistance that affects a population regardless of population density. |