Biology Ecology Flashcard

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What is an invasive species?

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An invasive species is a non-native organism that, when introduced to a new environment, can cause harm to the ecosystem, economy, or human health.

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Why do invasive species grow quickly in new environments?

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Invasive species grow quickly because they often have no natural predators in their new environment.

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What is carrying capacity?

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Carrying capacity is the largest number of individuals of a species that an environment can support long-term without degrading the habitat.

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What is a keystone species?

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A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

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How do sea otters act as a keystone species?

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Sea otters help maintain the balance of the ecosystem by controlling sea urchin populations, which in turn supports kelp forest biodiversity.

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What type of relationship is mutualism?

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Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit from the interaction.

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What is commensalism?

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Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

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What is parasitism?

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Parasitism is a relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another organism.

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What is logistic growth?

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Logistic growth is a model of population growth that shows how a population grows rapidly at first and then levels off as it reaches the carrying capacity of its environment.

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What is exponential growth?

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Exponential growth is a model of population growth where the population increases at a constant rate, leading to a rapid increase over time.