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ecology
is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment. These interactions determine distribution of organisms and their abundance.
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organismal
How does a species or organism function in this environment? And, how does the environment influence that species or organism?
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population
a group of individuals of the same species living in an area
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community
a group of populations of different species in an area
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ecosystem
the community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which they interact.
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landscape
The science of studying and improving relationships between ecological processes in the environment and particular ecosystems. This is done within a variety of landscape scales, development spatial patterns, and organizational levels of research and policy.
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dispersal
movement of individuals away from centers of high population density or from their area of origin
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biotic
- – Interactions with other species
- – Predation
- – Competition
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abiotic
- – Temperature
- – Water
- – Sunlight
- – Wind
- – Rocks and soil
- -Non biological things
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Macroclimate
consists of patterns on the global,regional, and local level
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Microclimate
consists of very fine patterns, such as those encountered by the community of organisms underneath a fallen log
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vertical layering
an important feature of terrestrial biomes, and in a forest it might consist of an upper canopy, low-tree layer, shrub understory, ground layer of herbaceous plants, forest floor, and root layer
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Clumped dispersion
individuals aggregate in patches and it might be influenced by availability and behavior
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uniform dispersion
individuals are evenly distributed and it may be influenced by social interactions such as territoriality
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random dispersion
the position of each individual isi ndependent of other individuals and it occurs in the absence of strong attractions or repulsions
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semelparity
Organism that reproduces only once in its lifetime.
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iteroparity
Being capable of multiple reproductive events throughout life.
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carrying capacity
(K) is the maximumpopulation size the environment can support
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interspecific interactions
Ecologists call relationships between species in a community
- • Competition
- • Predation
- • Herbivory
- • Symbiosis (parasitism, mutualism, andcommensalism)
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Interspecific competition
(–/– interaction) occurs when species compete for a resource in short supply
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symbiosis
- is a relationship where two or more species live in direct and intimate contact with one another
- • There are three types
- • Parasitism
- • Mutualism
- • Commensalism
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endoparasites
Parasites that live within the body of their host are called this
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ectoparasites
Parasites that live on the external surface of a host
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species richness
the total number of different species in the community
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Relative abundance
the proportion each species represents of the total individuals in the community
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Trophic structure
the feeding relationships between organisms in a community
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Food chains
link trophic levels from producers to top carnivores
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dominant species
those that are most abundant or have the highest biomass. Dominant species exert powerful control over the occurrence and distribution of other species
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Invasive species,
typically introduced to a new environment by humans, often lack predators or disease
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Keystone species
exert strong control on a community by their ecological roles, or niches. Incontrast to dominant species, they are not necessarily abundant in a community
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Foundation species
(ecosystem “engineers”)cause physical changes in the environment that affect community structure.
Examples: Beavers, humans
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disturbance
an event that changes a community, removes organisms from it, and alters resource availability.
Ex: Fire
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ecological niche
Organism's functional role in the environment; also defined as the parts of the environment that a species uses or tolerates.
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