Population Dynamics & Limiting Factors
The maximum number of individuals in a population that an ecosystem can support
What is carrying capacity?
group of individuals of a single species
What is a population?
Is recycled by organisms as it cycles through an ecosystem; carbon is an example
What is matter?
Type of organism that produces a lot of young that may die off quickly; numerous in the pioneer stages of succession
What are r strategists?
A collection of ecosystems
What is a biome?
Limiting factor that acts when a population reaches a certain number
What is density dependent?
groups of populations of species living in a shared habitat
What is a community?
conversion of energy into biomass in a given time
What is productivity?
spatial changes due to a response to different environmental conditions
What is zonation?
Weather cell that influences equatorial deserts and rain forest
What is a Hadley cell?
Growth curve marked by a period of exponential growth followed by a slowing due to limited resources
What is an S- shaped curve?
The entire globe; all of the biomes
What is the biosphere?
What is albedo?
Series of predictable changes that occurs in a community over time
What is succession?
The increase in concentration of a pollutant as it moves up the food chain
What is biomagnification?
An ecological role, or the specific set of resources and organism uses
What is a niche?
community of organisms + physical factors (biotic + abiotic)
What is an ecosystem?
Flows in one direction through an ecosystem
What is energy?
tendency for a community to maintain constant conditions and has resilience
What is stability?
Each bar of this pyramid represents the amount of energy generated that is available as food for the next level
What is a pyramid of productivity?
When two organisms of different species exist in a relationship in which they both benefit
What is mutualism?
complex feeding patterns in an ecosystem
What is a food web?
Conversion of one type of carbon molecule into another type of carbon molecule
What is a transformation?
Organisms that make few young, but spend time nurturing them; dominate in climax communities
What are K strategists?
The amount of biomass that can be taken without reducing natural capital
What is sustainable yield?