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Population
all the individuals of a species that occupy a particular geographic area at a certain time
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Exponential growth
 accelerating growth that produces a J-shaped curve when the population is graphed against time
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Limiting factor
- a factor that limits the growth distribution, or amount of population in an ecosystem
- eg. fewer resources, not enough of the nutrients needed to survive
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Carrying capacity
the size of a population that can be supported indefinitely by the available resources and services of an ecosystem
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Equilibrium
the balance between opposing forces
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Urban sprawl
the growth of relatively low-density development on the edges of urban areas
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Ecological niche
- the way that an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem, including all the necessary biotic and abiotic factors
- eg. brown bat
- biotic niche - insects it eats, competitors, predators
- abiotic niche - places for roosting and hibernation, time of night it hunts, airspace it flies, temperature it tolerates
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Bog
- a type of wetland in which the water is acidic and low in nutrients
- and all plants are carnivores
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Predator
- an organism that kills and consumes other organisms
- eg. lynx, wolves
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Prey
- an organism that is eaten as food by a predator
- eg. bunnies, mice
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Mutualism
- a symbiotic relationship between two species in which both species benefit from the relationship
- eg. coral and algae
- coral gives algae protection, nutrients and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis
- Algae gives coral 90% of it's energy requirments
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Parasite
- an organism whose niche is dependent on a close association with a larger host organism
- eg. brainworm needs white-tailed deer
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Sustainable use
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
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Doubling time
the period of time that is required for a population to double in size
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Ecological footprint
- a measure of the impact of an individual or a population on the environment in terms of energy consumption, land use, and waste production
- eg. in 2002 Canada's footprint was ~7 which is quite a bit above the global average
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unsustainble
a pattern of activity that leads to a decline in the function of an ecosystem
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sustainable
use of Earth's resources, including land and water, at levels that can continue forever
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Ecosystem services
the benefits experienced by organisms, that are provided by sustainable ecosystems
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Desertification
the change of non-desert land into a desert; desertification may result from climate change and unsustainable farming or water use
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Watershed
an area of land over which the run-off drains into a body of water
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ecotourism
- a form of tourism that is sensitive to the health of an ecosystem and involves recreational activities provided by sustainable ecosystems
- eg. snowshoeing, bird watching
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