-
Population
all the individuals of a species that occupy a particular geographic area at a certain time
-
Exponential Growth
accelerating growth that produces a J-shaped curve when graphed against time
-
Limiting Factors
a factor that limits the growth of a population
-
Carrying Capacity
the size of a population that can be supported by the resources available
-
Equilibrium
balance between opposing forces
-
Urban Sprawl
growth of low-density development on the edge of urban areas
-
Ecological niche
the way in which an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem, including all the necessary abiotic and biotic factors
-
Predator
an organism that kills and consumes another organism
-
Prey
an organism that is eaten as food by a predator
-
Mutualism
a symbiotic relationship between 2 species in which both species benefit from the relationship
-
Parasite
an organism whose niche is dependent on a close association with a larger host organism
-
Competition
when 2 or more organisms compete for the same resources in the same location at the same time
-
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
-
Doubling Time
the period of time that a population requires to double
-
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
-
Unsustainable
a pattern of activity that leads to a decline in the function of an ecosystem
-
Sustainability
use of Earth's resources including land and water, at levels that can continue forever
-
Ecosystem Services
the benefits experienced by organisms, including humans, that are provided by sustainable ecosystems
-
Desertification
the change of non-desert land into a desert, which may result from climate change or from unsustainable farming or water use
|
|
