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Population
All the individuals of a species that occupy a particular geographic area
Eg. Brown bears, humans
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Exponential Growth
Accelerating growth that produces a J-Shaped curve when the population is graphed against time
Eg. The growth of elephants
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Limiting Factors
A factor that limits the growth, distribution, or amount of a population in an ecosystem
Example: the limiting factors of a human include, food, clean water, and habitable land
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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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Ecological Niche
The way that an organism occupies a position in an ecosystem, including all the necessary biotic and abiotic factors
Eg. The brown bat has its ecological niche
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Predator
An organism that kills and consumes other organisms
Example: Lynx consume snow-hares as the hares are prey to the Lynx
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Prey
An organism that is eaten as food by a predator
Example: Snow hares are prey to their predator Lynx
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Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship between two species in which both species benefit from the relationship
Example: The relationship between crocodiles and baby turtles
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Parasite
An organism whose niche is dependent on a close association with a larger host organism
Example, Brainworms and deer/moose
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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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Competition
Competition occurs when two or more organisms compete for the same resource
Example: Food, habitable land
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Ecological Footprint
A measure of the productive land and water that are needed to support an individual's standard of living forever
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Unsustainable
A pattern of activity that leads to a decline in the function of an ecosystem
Example:
Water supply = 10L
Daily use --> 500ml
How long the water supply would therefore last is equal to 20 days
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Sustainability
Use of Earth's resources, including land and water, at levels that can continue forever
Example: Energy from windmills are a sustainable source of energy because there is essentially, infinite wind
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Ecosystem Services
The benefits experienced by organism, including humans, that are provided by sustainable ecosystems
Example: Trees produce oxygen
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Desertification
The transformation from non-desert land to desert land
Can result from climate change, erosion and drought
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Ecotourism
A nature-friendly profitable form of tourism where activities are created in sustainable ecosystems
Example: Niagra Falls
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