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Chapter 5 Vocab
Evolution and Communitive Ecology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Evolution | In general terms, change over time |
| Gene | a sequence of DNA that codes for a particular trait |
| Mutation | A change in DNA |
| Genetic Drift | biological evolution that occurs by chance |
| Natural Selection | the process by which traits that improve an organism's chances for survival and reproduction are passed on more frequently to offspring than those that do not |
| Fitness | The degree to which an organism can reproduce successfully in its enviroment |
| Adaptation | A heritable trait that increases the likelihood of an indivividual's survival and reproduction |
| Artificial Selection | A human-controlled process to produce individuals with certain traits |
| Speciation | The process by which new species are generated |
| Extinction | The disappearence of a species from Earth |
| Niche | An organisms habitat, resource use, and fundamental role in a community |
| Tolerance | The ability to survive and reproduce under changing enviromental conditions |
| Resource Partitioning | The process that allows different species to share common resources |
| Predation | A statement of what a scientist expects to observe if a hypothesis is true |
| Coevolution | The process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other |
| Parasitism | A relationship between two organisms from different species in which one organism (the parasite) depends on the other (the host) for nourishment or some other benefit |
| Symbiosis | A long-term and physically close relationship between two organisms from different species in which at least one organism benefits; commensalism, mutualism, and paraitism are all symbiotic relationships |
| Herbivory | The act of feeding on a plant |
| Mutualism | A relationship between two organisms from different species in which both organisms benefit |
| Commensalism | A relationship between two organisms from different species in which one benefits and the other is unaffected |
| Primary Producer | An organism that can capture energy from the sun or from chemicals and store it; also called autotroph |
| Photosynthesis | The process by which primary producers use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars, releasing oxygen |
| Chemosynthesis | The process by which bacteria use energy stored in bonds of hydrogen sulfide to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars |
| Consumer | An organism that relies on other organisms for energy and nutrients; also called heterotroph |
| Cellular Respiration | The process by which organisms use oxygen to release the chemical energy of sugars, producing carbon dioxide and water |
| Herbivore | An organism that eats plants |
| Carnivore | An animal that kills and eats other animals |
| Omnivore | An animal that eats both plants and animals |
| Detritivore | An organism that scavenges the waste products or dead bodies of other community members |
| Decomposer | An organism that breaks down nonliving matter into simple parts that can be taken up and reused by primary producers |
| Trophic Level | A rank in feeding hierarchy |
| Biomass | The total amount of living tissue in a trophic level |
| Food Chain | A linear series of feeding relationships |
| Food Web | A diagram of feeding relationships and energy flow showing the paths by which nutrients and energy pass from organism to organism as one consumes another |
| Keystone Species | A species that has a strong or wideranging impact on a community |
| Succession | A somewhat predictable series of changes overtime in a community |
| Primary Succession | The somewhat predictable series of changes in a community that follows a disturbance so servere that no vegitation or soil life remains |
| Pioneer Species | One of the first species to colonize newly exposed land |
| Secondary Seccession | The somehwat predictable series of changes in a community that follows a distubance that dramatically alters the community but does not destroy all vegitation or soil life |
| Invasive Species | a nonnative species that spreads widely in a community |
Created by:
rileywilliams