occurs when members of 2 or more species interact to gain access to the same limited resources such as food, water, light, and space.

occurs when a member of one species (predator) feeds directly on all or part of a member of another species (prey).

occurs when one organism (parasite) feeds on another organism (host), usually by living on or in the host.

the interaction that benefits both species by providing each with food, shelter, or some other resource.

the interaction that benefits one species but has little or no effect on the other.

occurs when species competing for similar scarce resources evolve specialized traits that allow them to share resources by using parts of them, using them at different times, or using them in different ways.

an adaptation that allows predators and/or prey to hide in plain sight.

using poisons to paralyze prey or to deter predators.

brightly colored advertising that helps experienced predators/prey to recognize and avoid them.

where nonpoisonous organisms gain protection by looking like poisonous ones.

when populations of 2 different species interact in such a way over a long period of time develop changes in the gene pool of the other. It allows both sides to become more competitive.

a way to navigate and locate prey using pulses of high-frequency and high-intensity sound which bounces off objects, and the returning echoes tell them where their prey is located.

vast armies of bacteria in the digestive system of animals help to break down the animals' food.

plants like orchids and bromeliads which attach themselves to the trunks or branches of large trees in tropical and subtropical forests. An example of commensalism: the plant gets sunlight, water, and air and the tree is not harmed nor benefits.

a group of interbreeding individuals of the same species.

populations that live in packs, schools, or flocks live in this distribution pattern. Most populations live in this pattern.

a pattern of distribution most commonly seen when resources are scarce. They are evenly distributed like dthe creoste bush in the desert.

a population distribution pattern seen where a population is plentiful, such as dandelions in a field.

range of chemical and physical conditions that must be maintained for populations of a particular species to stay alive and grow, develop, and function normally. When plotted it is usually a bell curve.

the part of a range of tolerance where a particular species does the best.

the number of physical or chemical factors that determine the number of organisms in a population. They regulate a population size.

states that too much or too little of any physical or chemical factor can limit or prevent the growth of a population, even if all other factors are at or near the optimal range of tolerance.

the levels of oxygen gas in water.

the amounts of various inorganic minerals or salts dissolved in a given volume of water.

the maximum population of a given species that a particular habitat can sustain indefinitely.

growth that starts out slowly, but then accelerates as the population increases because the base size is increasing. When plotted it looks like a "J". Ex.: world populaton, bacteria growth

when exponential growth decreases steadily with time as the population approaches the carrying capacity. When plotted it looks like an "S".

when populations use up their resource supplies and temporarily exceed the carrying capacity of their environment.

the period needed for the birth rate to fall and for the death rate to rise in response to resource overconsumption. It allows for an overshoot in population growth.

when a population suffers a sharp decline.

the number of individuals in a population found in a particular area or volume.

the factors that limit population growth and have a greater effect as the density increases. Ex.: parasitism, infectious disease, competition for resources.

factors that kill members of a population that do not depend on density. Ex.: severe freeze, floods, hurricanes, fire, pollution, and habitat destruction.

a species whose population size fluctuates slightly above and below its carrying capacity.

a species whose population size may occasionally surge, then crash. Ex.: algae or some insects

species whose population has boom-and-bust cycles every so many years. Ex.: lynx and snowshoe hare

populations whose size has no regular pattern.

the normally gradual change in species composition in a given area.

involves the gradual establishment of biotic communities in lifeless areas where there is no soil in a terrestrial ecosystem or no bottom sediment in an aquatic one. Ex.: on a newly formed island.

where a series of communities or ecosystems with different species develop in places containing soil or bottom sediment. Ex.: after a fire

bringing back an ecosytem to its original form after being degraded. Secondary ecological succession after a fire is natural restoration.

species which colonize previously uncolonized land, usually leading to ecological succession.

is a biological community of plants and animals which, through the process of ecological succession — the development of vegetation in an area over time — has reached a steady state.

the ability of a living system to survive moderate disturbances. Ex.: rainforest

the ability of a living system to be restored through secondary successioin after a more severe disturbance. Ex.: grassland