Science - Unit 4 Ecology chapter 2

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 population is graphed against time

• 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

the size of a population that can be supported indefinitely by the available resources and services of an ecosystem

the balance between opposing forces

the growth of relatively low-density development on the edges of urban areas

• 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

• a type of wetland in which the water is acidic and low in nutrients
• and all plants are carnivores

• an organism that kills and consumes other organisms
• eg. lynx, wolves

• an organism that is eaten as food by a predator
• eg. bunnies, mice

• 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

• an organism whose niche is dependent on a close association with a larger host organism
• eg. brainworm needs white-tailed deer

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 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

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, that are provided by sustainable ecosystems

the change of non-desert land into a desert; desertification may result from climate change and unsustainable farming or water use

an area of land over which the run-off drains into a body of water

• 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