Maintain
The ability of the biosphere to maintain its balance indefinitely.
What is sustainability?
What is the biogeochemical cycle?
The number of individuals in a certain amount of space.
What is population density?
Changes in a biotic community over time.
What is succession?
The specific role and position a species occupies within its ecosystem.
What is a niche?
Idea that small changes in a system can have drastic effects.
What is the butterfly effect?
Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into a form that can be used by plants and animals.
What is nitrogen fixation?
Limits the growth of a population.
What is a limiting factor?
Organisms that first colonize a previously barren ecosystem.
What is primary succession?
Gases in the atmosphere that trap heat.
What are greenhouse gases?
The continuous process by which water is circulated throughout the earth and the atmosphere through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and transpiration .
What is the water cycle?
Maximum number in a population that an area can sustain.
What is carrying capacity?
Succession that occurs in a disturbed landscape.
What is secondary succession?
Theoretical increase in amount of heat trapped in the atmosphere, which increases the temperature of the earth.
What is global warming?
Measure of how many resources a human population uses and the rate the resources can be replaced.
What is the ecological footprint?
What is cellular respiration?
Rate of population growth in which the population multiplies at a constant rate at regular intervals.
What is exponential growth?
The plants and animals that are the first to return to an area, adding nutrients and seeds to the landscape.
What are pioneer species?
Organisms that occupy a habitat they are not native to.
What are invasive species?
Most free oxygen in the earth's atmosphere is produced by this process.
What is photosynthesis?
It is essential for life, promotes growth in animals and plants, and forms genetic material.
What is phosphorous?
Rate of population growth which includes limiting factors and carrying capacity.
What is logistic growth?
Stable, long-lived species that mark the end of succession.
What are climax species?
Use of organisms to remove or neutralize hazardous materials.
What is bioremediation?