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