ecology- how organisms interact with each other and their environment
environment- living and nonliving components
abiotic- non-living components or physical factors as soil, rainfall, sunlight and temperatures
biotic- living components or other organisms
individual- individual organisms
population- organisms of the same species in the same area
community- several populations in the same area
ecosystem- community plus abiotic factors
biosphere- all ecosystems on Earth
homeostasis- delicate balance
survivorship- the percentage of a population remaining over time
Type 1 survivorship- most individuals live out their full lifespan and die of old age
Type 2 survivorship- individuals die at a constant rate
Type 3 survivorship- most individuals die young in life
neutral interactions- two species do not interact
mutualism- both interact
commensalism- one benefits, other neutral
parasitism- one benefits, other is harmed but not killed
predation- one benefits, other is killed
ecological pyramid- a graph representing trophic levels within an ecosystem. the primary producer level is at the base of the pyramid with consumer levels above
numbers pyramid- compares the number of individuals in each trophic level
biomass pyramid- compares the total dry weight of the organisms in each trophic level
energy pyramid- compares the total amount of energy available in each trophic level this energy is usually measured in kilocalories
point source pollution- pollution with a specific source
nonpoint pollution- pollution comes from many sources
organic pollution- decomposition of living organisms and their bi-products
inorganic pollution- dissolved and suspended solids as silts, salts, and minerals
toxic pollution- heavy metals and other chemical compounds that are lethal to organisms
thermal pollution- waste heat from industrial and power generation processes
radiation pollution- radioactive materials
deforestation- the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodland
non-renewable energy- fossil fuels
renewable resources- sun, wind, heat, waves
eutrophication- the enrichment of an ecosystem with chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus or both
Biological treatment- process in which wastewater is treated with aerobic bacteria to remove or reduce the organic contaminants such as human and animal excreta, ammonia, nitrates, and and plant tissue
species- a group of similar organisms that can mate with each other and produce offspring that can also mate with each other
microbes- a microorganism, especially a pathogenic bacterium
biome- a complex biotic community characterized by distinctive plant and animal species and maintained under the climatic conditions of the region, especially such a community that has developed a climax
limiting factor principle- an environmental factor that tends to limit population size
aerobic respiration- oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide and water are produced; also, the use of oxygen in the breakdown of food to create energy
making a quizlet for ecology
