Chapter 2 - ecosystems and ecology Flashcards
What is a habitat?
The environment where a species normally lives
What is a niche?
Where, when and how an organism lives
What is a fundamental niche?
The range of conditions and resources in which a species needs to survive and reproduce
What is a realized niche?
The conditions and resources in which a species exists due to biotic interactions
What is a carrying capacity?
The number of organisms that an ecosystem can support sustainably over a long period of time
What is herbivory?
An interaction where an animal feeds on a plant
What is a population?
A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area that are capable of interbreeding
What is zonation?
the arrangment or patterning of plant communities or ecosystems into bands in response to change
What is succession?
the process of change over time in a community
What is a climax community?
a community of organisms that is more or less stable, and is in equilibrium with natural environmental conditions such as climate
