Chapter 2 Glossary Terms

All the individuals of a species that occupy a particular geographic area at a certain time

Accelerating growth that produces a J shaped curve when the poulation is graphed against time.

A factor that limits the growth, distribution, or amount of a population in an ecosystem e.g. The amount of water in the location

• The size of a population that can be supported indefinitely bu the available recources and services of an ecosystem
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The way in which an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem, including all the biotic and abiotic factors

An organism that kills and consumes other organisms

An organism that is eaten as food by a predator

A symbiotic relationship between two species in which both species benefit from the relationship

An organism whose niche is dependent on a close association with a larger host organism

When two or more organisms compete for the same resource in the same location at the same time

Use that does not lead to long- term depletion of a resource or affect the diversity of the ecosystem from which the resource is obtained

The period of time that is required for a population to double in size

A measure of the impact of an individual or a population on the environment in trms of energy consumption, land use and waste production

A pattern of activity that leads to a decline in the function of an ecosystem

Use of Earth's resources, including land and water, at levels that can continue forever

The benefits experienced by organisms, including humans, that are provided by sustainable ecosystems

The change of non-desert land into desert, which may result from climate change or from unsustainable farming or water use

A form of tourism that is sensitive to the health of an ecosystem and involves recreational activities provided by sustainable ecosystems