ES Ch 5 Vocabulary

Front

What is predation?

Back

Interaction in which a member of one species (the predator) captures and feeds on all or part of a living organism of another species (the prey) as part of a food web.

Front

What is a limiting factor?

Back

Factor that is particularly important relative to other factors in regulating the growth of a population.

Front

Define population in ecological terms.

Back

Group of interbreeding individuals of the same species, usually living together in a group.

Front

What does exponential growth represent in ecology?

Back

A growth pattern where the population size increases rapidly in proportion to the current size, often depicted in a J-shaped curve.

Front

What is interspecific competition?

Back

Attempts by members of two or more species to use the same limited resources in an ecosystem.

Front

Define carrying capacity.

Back

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

Front

What is mutualism?

Back

A type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from the interaction.

Front

Explain commensalism.

Back

A relationship between two organisms where one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Front

What is the difference between K-selected and r-selected species?

Back

K-selected species invest more in fewer offspring with higher survival rates, while r-selected species produce many offspring with lower survival rates.

Front

Define ecological niche.

Back

The role and position a species has in its environment, including all interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.