Unit 2 vocab Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Unit 2 vocab Deck (32)
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1
Q

Abiotic

A

Nonliving. (air, water, and soil)

2
Q

Adaption

A

Any genetically controlled structural, physiological, or behavioral characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce under a given set of environmental conditions.

3
Q

Assimilation

A

The absorption and digestion of food or nutrients by the body or any biological system.

4
Q

Biodiversity

A

The variety of species, the genes they contain, and the ecosystems they live in.

5
Q

Biomass

A

The dry weight of all organic matter contained in the organism and provides a measure of how much energy is available to the next trophic level.

6
Q

Biotic

A

Living.

7
Q

Chemosynthesis

A

Process in which certain organisms (mostly specialized bacteria) extract inorganic compounds from their environment and convert them into organic nutrient compounds without the presence of sunlight.

8
Q

Commensalism

A

Interaction between organisms of different species in which one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

9
Q

Community

A

Populations of all species living and interacting in an area at a particular time.

10
Q

Consumers

A

Organisms that cannot produce their own energy and obtain energy needed by feeding on organisms or their remains.

11
Q

Decomposers

A

Breaks down organic compounds.

12
Q

Detritivore

A

Consumer organism that feeds on detritus, parts of dead organisms, and cast-off fragments and wastes of living organisms.

13
Q

Exponential growth

A

Growth at which some quantity, such as population size or economic output, increases at a constant rate per unit of time.

14
Q

Generalist species

A

Have broad niches since they have a variety of food sources and demonstrate a wide range of tolerance for environmental conditions.

15
Q

Geographic isolation

A

Separation of populations of species into different areas for long periods of time.

16
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

Natural effect that releases heat in the atmosphere near the earth’s surface.

17
Q

Indicator species

A

Species that can provide an early warning that damage to a community or an ecosystem is occurring.

18
Q

Invasive species

A

Non-native species introduced intentionally or accidentally to an environment.

19
Q

K-selected species

A

Organisms that are limited by resources and competition.

20
Q

Keystone species

A

Species that play roles affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem.

21
Q

Mutualism

A

Two organisms interact in a manner that is beneficial to both in the same way.

22
Q

Natural selection

A

Process by which a particular beneficial gene (or set of genes) is reproduced in succeeding generations more than other genes.

23
Q

Population

A

Group of individual organisms of the same species living in a particular area.

24
Q

Primary productivity

A

The rate at which primary producers convert solar energy into chemical energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.

25
Q

Primary succession

A

The establishment of a biotic community from a previous lifeless terrain.

26
Q

Producers

A

Self-feeders that acquire nutrients by converting compounds or energy from their environment.

27
Q

R-selected species

A

Organisms that are capable of rapid exponential growth.

28
Q

Scavengers

A

Organisms that feed on dead organisms that were killed by other organisms or died naturally.

29
Q

Secondary succession

A

Where a disturbance in the ecosystem has damaged or removed part of the established community but leaves in place soil or sediments.

30
Q

Specialist species

A

Have narrow niches and typically feed on only one food source and most likely tolerate only a narrow range of environmental conditions.

31
Q

Transpiration

A

Process by which water that is absorbed by plants, usually through the roots, evaporates into the atmosphere from the plant surface.

32
Q

Trophic level

A

Hierarchy of feeding orders based on the organism’s method for acquiring energy and nutrients from the ecosystem.