Define the Following Terms That Comprises of Ecology Science Flashcards

Can you define the following terms that comprise ecology? If you care about the environment and all of the living things that reside in it, then these flashcards are for you. Ecology is the study of ways that organisms and their environments interact. It is a multidisciplinary science because you also other fields to understand it’s concepts. Read and study these flashcards to learn more about terms in ecology.

21 cards   |   Total Attempts: 184
  

Cards In This Set

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Define ecology
The study of living organisms in their natural environments
Define ecosystem
A community and the abiotic factors in an area interacting
Define community
All the populations of different species living and interacting in the same ecosystem
Define species
A group of organisms of the same species in the same habitat at the same time that can freely interbreed
Define biodiversity
The total number of different species in an ecosystem and their relative abundance
Define habitat
The characterisitics of the type of environment where an organism normally lives
List the six ecological interactions
Competitionpredationparasitismmutualismcommensalismsymbiosis
Define competition
When two species share a requirement for a limited resource; reduces fitness of one or both species
Define predation
When one species feeds on another; enhances fitness of predator, reduces fitness of prey
Define parasitism
When one species feeds on another; enhances fitness of parasite, reduces fitness of host
Define mutualism
When two species provide resources or services to each other; enhances fitness of both species
Define commensalism
When one species receives a benefit from another species; enhances fitness of one species, doesn;t affect other species' fitness
Define symbiosis
When two species live in close association; can include parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism
Define niche
The unique role of a species within an ecosystem
Define dispersion
The relative ditribution of a population in an area