2.1 Individuals, Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems

Question 1

biotic

Answer 1

All the plants, animals, algae, fungi and microbes in an ecosystem (living)

Question 2

abiotic

Answer 2

The chemical and physical factors in an ecosystem (non living)

Question 3

niche

Answer 3

the specific role and position an organism or species occupies within its environment

Question 4

transect sampling

Answer 4

a systematic sampling method used to study the distribution and abundance of organisms along a line or pathway

Question 5

predator

Answer 5

an organism that hunts, kills, and eats another organism for energy and nutrients

Question 6

prey

Answer 6

any animal that serves as a food source for another animal

Question 7

parasitism

Answer 7

symbiotic relationship between two species of plants or animals in which one benefits at the expense of the other, sometimes without killing the host organism

Question 8

competition

Answer 8

a relationship between organisms that occurs when they both attempt to utilize the same limited resources in the same environment

Question 9

herbivory

Answer 9

the mode or act of feeding where animals eat and gain nutrients from plants

Question 10

mutualism

Answer 10

symbiotic relationship where both interacting species benefit from the relationship

Question 11

commensalism

Answer 11

symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits from the relationship while the other species involved neither benefits nor is harmed

Question 12

sustainability

Answer 12

the use of global resources at a rate that allows natural regeneration and minimizes damage to the environment

Question 13

species

Answer 13

a group of individuals that actually or potentially interbreed in nature

Question 14

community

Answer 14

all the living organisms (plants, animals, microorganisms) that interact with each other in a particular area

Question 15

populaiton

Answer 15

a subset of individuals of one species that occupies a particular geographic area and interbreeds

Question 16

biosphere

Answer 16

all living organisms and their interactions with the non-living environment

Question 17

intraspecific

Answer 17

between members of the same species

Question 18

interspecific

Answer 18

between members of different species

Question 19

interactions

Answer 19

the relationships and effects between different components of the environment, including living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) elements, as well as societal influences

Question 20

S-curve

Answer 20

AKA Logistic growth curve
growth starts slow, rapidly accelerates, then decelerates as it reaches carrying capacity

Question 21

J-curve

Answer 21

AKA exponential growth
Growth rapidly accelerates due to ample resources and conditions, eventually leading to a Crash when resources become limited

Question 22

organisms

Answer 22

any living thing, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms

Question 23

limiting factors

Answer 23

environmental conditions that restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population within an ecosystem

Question 24

tipping points

Answer 24

critical thresholds within a system

Question 25

biodiversity

Answer 25

the variety of all life forms on earth - the different plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems of which they are a part

Question 26

habitat

Answer 26

an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant, or other type of organism

Question 27

cladogram

Answer 27

a branching diagram that depicts evolutionary relationships among different groups of organisms, highlighting their shared common ancestors

Question 28

ecology

Answer 28

the branch of biology that studies the interrelationships between organisms and their environment, both biotic and abiotic factors

Question 29

ecosystem

Answer 29

a community of biotic factors and their abiotic factors interacting as a system within a specific area

Question 30

carrying capacity

Answer 30

the maximum number of individuals of a given species that an area's resources can sustain indefinitely without significantly depleting or degrading those resources

Question 31

ecological footprint

Answer 31

the hypothetical area of land required by a society, group or individual to fulfill all their resources needs and assimilation of wastes

Question 32

planetary boundaries

Answer 32

a framework to describe limits to the impacts of human activities on the Earth system

Question 33

keystone species

Answer 33

Species that are vital for the continuing function of the ecosystem

Question 34

population dynamics

Answer 34

how the number of individuals in a population changes over time

Question 35

fundamental niche

Answer 35

the full range of conditions and resources in which a species could survive and reproduce

Question 36

realized niche

Answer 36

actual conditions and resources in which a species exists due to biotic interactions

Question 37

r-selected

Answer 37

those that prioritize rapid reproduction and population growth, often in unstable environments

Question 38

k-selected

Answer 38

organisms that prioritize survival and long-term stability in stable environments where competition for resources is high