Chapter 2 Glossary Terms

all the individuals of a species that occupy a particular geographic area at a certain time. e.g humans and deer

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 a population in an ecosystem

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

the way in which an organism occupies a position in n ecosystem, including all the necessary biotic and abiotic factors

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

an organism that kills and consumes other organisms e,g wolf

an organism that is eaten as food by a predator

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

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

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 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