Ecology Unit

all the interacting parts of a biological community and its environment

ecosystem that is capable of withstanding pressure and giving support to a variety of organisms

The living parts of an ecosystem

The nonliving parts of an ecosystem

The hard part of the earths surface

all the water found on earth, including lakes, oceans, and groundwater

The layer of gases above earths surface

The regions of earth were living organisms exist

A chemical that is essential to living things and is cycled through ecosystems

an ecosystem that is land-based

an ecosystem that is water based, either freshwater or saltwater

A process in which nutrient levels in aquatic ecosystems increase leading to an increase in the populations of primary producers

A process that changes solar energy into chemical energy

A category of organisms that is defined by how the organisms gain their energy

The total mass of living organisms in a defined group or area

A measure of the amount of energy or biomass transferred from one trophic level to the next higher trophic level

A process in which materials, especially toxins, are ingested by an organism at a rate greater than they are eliminated

A process that releases energy from organic molecules especially carbohydrates in the presence of oxygen

A process that releases energy from organic molecules especially carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen

atmospheric gases that prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere thus increasing the temperature of the atmosphere

The warming of earth as a result of greenhouse gases which trap some of the energy that would otherwise leave earth

rain snow or fog that is unnaturally acidic due to gases in the atmosphere that react with water to form acid

all the individuals of a species that occupy a particular geographic area at a certain time

Accelerating growth that produces a J shaped curve when the population is graphed against time

A factor that limits the growth distribution or amount of a population in an ecosystem

The size of a population that can be supported indefinitely by the available resources and services of an ecosystem

The balance between opposing forces

The growth of relatively low density development on the edges of urban areas

The way that an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem including all the necessary biotic and abiotic factors

A type of wetland in which the water is acidic and low in nutrients

an organism that kills and consumes other organisms

an organism that is eaten as food by a predator

a symbiotic relationship between two species in which both species benefit from the relationship

an organism whose niche is dependent on a close association with a larger host organism

use that does not lead to long-term depletion of a resource or affect the diversity of ecosystem from which the resource is obtained

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

A measure of the impact of an individual or a population on the environment in terms of energy consumption land use and waste production

A pattern of activity that leads to a decline in the function of an ecosystem

use of earths resources including land and water at levels that can continue forever

The benefits experienced by organisms including humans that are provided by sustainable ecosystems

The change of non-desert land into a desert; desertification may result from climate change and unsustainable farming or water use

an area of land over which the run off drains into a body of water

The collection of links and relationships between ecosystems that are separated geographically

A form of tourism that is sensitive to the health of an ecosystem and involves recreational activities provided by sustainable ecosystems

The number and variety of life forms including species found within a specific region as well as all the number the number and variety of ecosystems within and beyond that region

to guard legally from harm a species that is listed as endangered threatened or of special concern

A place where there is an exceptionally large number of species in a relatively small area

all the populations of the different species that interact in a specific area or ecosystem

species that are so abundant that they have the biggest biomass of any community member

a species that can greatly affect population numbers and the health of an ecosystem

The breeding of rare or endangered wildlife in controlled settings to increase the population size

a species that causes such dramatic changes to landscapes that it creates a new ecosystem

The series of changes in an ecosystem that occurs over time following a disturbance

The destruction of habitats which usually results from human activities

The practice of clearing forests for logging or other human uses and never replanting them

a species that is accidentally or deliberately introduced into a new location

A species that can take over the habitat of native species

The use or extraction of a resource until it is depleted

The death of all the individuals of a species

The current accelerated rate of extinctions

The active assumption responsibility for the welfare of the environment

The renewal of degraded or destroyed ecosystems through active human intervention

The regrowth of a forest either through natural processes or through the planting of seeds or trees in an area where forest was cut down

The use of a species to control the population growth or spread of an undesirable species

The use of living organisms to clean up contaminated areas naturally

The use of organisms to add essential nutrients to depleted soils