ecological suceession Flashcards
ecology
the study of how organisms interact with their environment
biome
large geographic areas with similar climates and ecosystems
ecosystem
a system consisting of all of the interactions that occur between the abiotic and biotic factors within an environment
climate
the long term average temperature and rainfall that occur in particular region
ecological succession
transitions of species present in a community in an area virtually barren of life, or after disturbance
primary succession
series of changes that occur in an area with no ecosystem privily existed
secondary succession
series of changes that occur after a disturbance in an existing ecosystem
pioneer species
organisms that do not need soil to survive ; they start the soil building process (lichen and moss)
climax community
a relativity stable state of succession , or the end product of succession
limiting factor
a factor that limits the ability of a habitat to sustain a population
biodiversity
the number of different species of plant and animals in a area
sustainability
able to last or continue for a long time
adaption
an inherited trait that increases an organisms chance of surviving and reproducing in a particular environment
habitat
a place where an organism naturally lives and grows
microhabitat
a very small specialized habitat, such as the space under a rock
