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Modeling

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using computers and mathematical models to describe and model nature; scientists manipulate different model variables to learn about organisms or whole ecosystems

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abiotic factor

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nonliving things or factors in an environment that may impact the survival of a living thing

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biodiversity

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variety of living things in an ecosystem; a higher number of different species means there is more biodiversity.

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keystone species

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species that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem and holds together a dynamic ecosystem, like elephants and beavers

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Producer

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organisms that get their energy from nonliving resources and make their own food; a.k.a. autotrophs. They provide the energy in an ecosystem. Most producers use sunlight

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heterotrophs

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consumers. organisms that get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources

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chemosynthesis

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process by which an organism forms carbohydrates using chemicals, rather than light, as an energy source

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food chain

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a single sequence that links species by their feeding relationships

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decomposers

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organisms that eat dead organic matter and break it down into simpler compounds. They are important in an ecosystem because they return important nutrients back into the environment

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food webs

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model that shows the complex network of feeding relationships and the flow of energy within and sometimes beyond an ecosystem.

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hydrologic cycle

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water cycle; circular pathway of water on Earth from the atmosphere, to the surface, below the ground, and back.

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similarity between oxygen cycle and carbon cycle

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cycles that depend on photosynthesis

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carbon cycle

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the circular pathway of carbon flowing from the environment to living organisms and back again.

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nitrogen fixation

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process in which certain types of bacteria convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonia

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primary consumers

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herbivores; first consumer above the producer trophic level

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secondary consumer

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carnivores that eat herbivores

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trophic level

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levels of nourishment in a food chain; carnivores are at the highest level, herbivores are at the second level, producers are at the bottom first level.

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Energy pyramid

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diagram that compares energy used by producers, primary consumers, and other trophic levels. the pyramid shows how available energy is distributed among trophic levels; energy levels on the bottom is largest, and energy is progressively lost as it moves up the pyramid

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competitive exclusion

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competition of two species competing for the same resources; one will be pushed into another ecological niche, die out, or experience divergent evolution

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ecological equivalents

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species that occupy similar ecological niches but live in different geographical regions

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predation

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process by which one organism captures and feeds upon another organism

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commensalism

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a symbiotic relationship in which one organism receives an ecological benefit from another organism that neither benefits nor is harmed from the relationship.

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parasitism

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relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed; the host is kept alive for days or years

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survivorship curve

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generalized diagram showing the number of surviving members over time from a measured set of births; gives information about the life history of a species

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immigration

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movement of individuals into population from another population

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carrying capacity

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the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that the environment can normally and consistently support; changes in the environment can lead to changes in the carrying capacity

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density-dependent limiting factor

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limiting factors that are affected by the number of individuals in a given area; competition, predation, parasitism, and disease are DDLF

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density-independent limiting factor

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factor in the environment that limit a population's growth regardless of the density of the population

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pioneer species

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the first organisms that live in a previously uninhabited area; typical examples are lichens and some mosses

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secondary succession

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reestablishment of a damaged ecosystem in an area where the soil was left intact

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population density

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measurement of the number of individuals living in a given space. Population density=number of individuals/area of the space

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uniform dispersion

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species will live at specific distances from one another due to territoriality and competition for limited resources

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factors that affect population size

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immigration, births, emigration, deaths

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exponential growth

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type of growth in population that occurs when a population size increases dramatically over a period of time

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logistical grwoth

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a population begins with a period of slow growth followed by a brief period of exponential growth before leveling off at a stable size

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mutualism

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interspecies interaction in which both organisms benefit from one another

OFL Biology Unit 7 – Flashcards

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