ecosystems chapter 2 terms

By Alexis boudreau

A group of organisms of ONE SPECIES that lives in the same place at the same time.

Ex. Human population in a 1 city in 2012

When a population increases due to unlimited resources, especially when a species is introduced to a new habitat. this is only temporary, until resources become limited.

A limiting factor is a factor that limits the growth, distribution, or amount of population in an ecosystem.

Ex. limits on resources such as food, water and shelter

• The size of a population that can be supported indefinately by the resources and conditions of a given ecosystem.
• population size is at an equilibrium when it has reached carring capacity.
• the sustainable carrying capacity for humans is unlikely to be able to sustain the 9-10 billion people expected by the end of the century.
• 2 ways to increase carrying capacity: altering an ecosystem so that more energy and resources can be consumed, OR altering behavior rather than the ecosystem itself.

An ecological niche is the way that an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem, including all of the necessary biotic and abiotic factors.

An organism that is eaten as food by a predator.

Ex. weasles and rabbits are the hawks prey- hawk gains energy by consuming organisms

A symbiotic relationship between 2 species in which both species benefit from the relationship.

Ex. coral and photosynthetic algae depend on eachother for survival

An organisms who's niche is dependant on a close association with a larger host organism.

Ex. the brainworm is a parasite of the white tailed deer.

When 2 or more organisms compete for the same resource in the same location at the same time.

-competition can limit the size of a population.

- organisms(such as birds) also compete with eachother for mates

• sustainable use of a source is use that does not cause long term depletion of the resource or effect the diversity of the ecosystem from which the resource is obtained.
• sustainable use allows the resource to meet the needs of present and future generations.

The period of time that is required for a population to double in size.

Ex. humans persent doubling time is 60 years.

An ecological footprint is a measure of the impact of an individual or a population on the environment in terms of energy consumption, land use, and waste production

-humans on average have an ecological footprint of 2.2

• A pattern of activity that leads to a decline in the function of an ecosystem.
• -ecosystem does not have unlimited resources for current and future generations

• sustainability is the use of earths resources including land and water, at levels that can continue forever.
• -

• ecosystem services are the benefits experienced by organisms including humans, that are provided by sustainable ecosystems.
• The natural result of all activities that occur in the biosphere

• The change of non-desert land into desert.
• desertification may result from climate change and ansustainable farming or water use.
• -clear cutting can lead to desertification

• Ecotourism is a form of tourism that is sensitive to the health of an ecosystem and involves recreational activities provided by sustainable ecosystems.
•  
• Ex. snowshoeing, skating, skiing, canoeing etc.

An organism that kills and consumes another organism,.

Ex. hawk consumes smaller animals such as weasles and rabbits.