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Population
- All the individuals of a species that occupy a particular geographic area at a certain time
- E.g. the population of Kitchener is: 219 153
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Exponential Growth
- Accelerating growth that produces a J-shaped curve when the population is graphed against time
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Limiting Factors
- A factor that limits the growth, distribution, or amount of a population in an ecosystem
- E.g. if the winters of a certain ecosystem are uninhabitable for humans, or if there isn’t enough food for a population to survive
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Carrying Capacity
- The size of a population that can be supported by the valuable resources of an ecosystem
- E.g. an ecosystem that has a limited sustainable food source, but if too many organisms used it, it would run out
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Ecological Niche
- The way in which an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem, including all necessary biotic and abiotic factors
- E.g. a bats effect on an ecosystem in terms of what it eats, where it lives & what resources it uses
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Predator
- An organism that kills and consumes other organisms
- E.g. a fox eats animals such as rabbits
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Prey
- An organism that is eaten as food by a predator
- E.g. a rabbit that is being eaten by a fox
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Mutualism
- A symbiotic relationship between two species in which both species benefit from the relationship
- E.g. algae and coral, coral give algae a habitat and a steady flow of carbon dioxide, and in return, the algae give the coral by-products of photosynthesis
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Parasite
- An organism whose niche is dependent on a close association with a larger host organism
- E.g. a tape worm that steals nutrients from their host
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Competition
- When two or more organisms compete for the same resource in the same location at the same time
- E.g. if two birds are fighting over the same food source, or for the same mate
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Sustainable use
- Use that does not lead to long-term depletion of a resource or affect the diversity of the ecosystem from which the resource was obtained
- E.g. using a resource, not to its quantity limit, but less enough that it can reproduce in time for next harvest
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Doubling Time
- The period of time that is required for a population to double in size
- E.g. if a village starts with 10 people, and they make 5 people each year, the doubling time would be two years
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Ecological Footprint
- A measure of the impact of an individual or a population on the environment in terms of energy consumption, land use and waste production
- E.g. a Hummer’s ecological footprint is far greater than a Prius’
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Unsustainable
- A pattern of activity that leads to a decline in the function of an ecosystem
- E.g. an ecosystem with no food is unsustainable
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Sustainability
- Use of earth’s resources, including land and water, at levels that can continue forever
- E.g. making sure a resource has enough time for it to grow back for another season
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Ecosystem Services
- The benefits experienced by organisms, including humans, that are provided by sustainable ecosystems
- E.g. Food, nutrients, etc.
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Desertification
- The change of non-desert land into a desert, which may result from climate change or from unsustainable farming or water use
- E.g. if a land were to lose all if it’s water, it would become desert-like
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Ecotourism
- A form of tourism that is sensitive to the health of an ecosystem and involves recreational activities provided by sustainable ecosystems
- E.g. zip-lining from tree to tree or swimming in an ocean
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