Evolution
in general terms, change over time
evolution
an organism’s habitat, resource use, and fundamental role in a community
niche
an organism that can capture energy from the sun or from chemicals and store it; also called autotroph
primary producer
a somewhat predictable series of changes over time in a community
succession
a heritable trait that increases the likelihood of an individual’s survival and reproduction
adaptation
the process by which traits that improve an organism’s chances for survival and reproduction are passed on more frequently to offspring than those that do not
natural selection
the process by which individuals of one species (the predators) hunt, capture, and feed on individuals of another species (the prey)
predation
the process by which organisms use oxygen to release the chemical energy of sugars, producing carbon dioxide and water
cellular respiration
the somewhat predictable series of changes in a community that follows a disturbance so severe that no vegetation or soil life remains
primary succession
biological evolution that occurs by chance
genetic drift
the degree to which an organism can reproduce successfully in its environment
fitness
a long-term and physically close relationship between two organisms from different species in which at least one organism benefits; commensalism, mutualism, and parasitism are all symbiotic relationships
symbiosis
animal that kills and eats other animals
carnivore
a nonnative species that spreads widely in a community
invasive species
a species that has a strong or wide-ranging impact on a community
keystone species
a sequence of DNA that codes for a particular trait
gene
a relationship between two organisms from different species in which one organism (the parasite) depends on the other (the host) for nourishment or some other benefit
parasitism
a linear series of feeding relationships
food chain
the somewhat predictable series of changes in a community that follows a disturbance (e.g., a fire, logging, or farming) that dramatically alters the community but does not destroy all vegetation or soil life
secondary succession
a relationship between two organisms from different species in which one benefits and the other is unaffected
commensalism
the process by which new species are generated
speciation
the process by which two species evolve in response to changes in each other
coevolution
the process by which bacteria use energy stored in bonds of hydrogen sulfide to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars
chemosynthesis
one of the first species to colonize newly exposed land
pioneer species
an organism (e.g., a millipede or soil insect) that scavenges the waste products or dead bodies of other community members
detritivore