Adaptation is any structural, functional, or behavioural characteristic of an organism that enables it to survive and reproduce successfully in a particular environment.
Definitions [25]
Definition: Habitat
Habitat is the natural place or environment where an organism lives and grows under suitable conditions.
Define ecological niche.
Niche of an organism can be defined as the total position and function of an individual in its environment.
Definition: Niche
A niche is the functional role of an organism in its environment, including how it uses resources and interacts with other organisms.
Definition: Adaptation
Definition: Age Pyramid
The graphical representation showing the proportion of individuals in different age groups of a population is called an age pyramid.
Definition: Age Structure
The arrangement or composition of a population based on different age groups is called age structure.
Definition: Age Distribution
The proportion of individuals belonging to different age groups in a population is called age distribution.
Definition: Emigration
The movement of individuals out of a population to other areas is called emigration.
Definition: Population Growth
The increase in the number of individuals of a species in a given area over a period of time is called population growth.
Definition: Natality (Birth Rate)
The rate at which new individuals are added to a population through reproduction is called natality.
Definition: Mortality (Death Rate)
The rate at which individuals die in a population during a given period of time is called mortality.
Definition: Population Growth Rate (r)
The rate of change in population size per individual per unit time is called population growth rate.
Definition: Intrinsic Rate of Growth (rₘ)
The maximum growth rate of a population under ideal conditions with maximum reproduction and minimum mortality is called intrinsic rate of growth.
Definition: Fecundity
The reproductive capacity of a population measured as the number of births during a given period is called fecundity.
Definition: Immigration
The addition of individuals to a population from neighbouring populations is called immigration.
Define Niche.
Niche describes the position of a species in an environment and also the functional role played by an organism.
Define the Stenothermal organisms.
A species or living organism is only capable of living within a narrow temperature range.
Define the following term:
Commensalism
An interaction in which one species benefits while the other is neither benefited nor harmed is called commensalism.
Define the following term:
Camouflage
Camouflage, also called cryptic colouration, is a defense mechanism or tactic that organisms use to disguise their appearance, usually to blend in with their surroundings. Organisms use camouflage to mask their location, identity, and movement.
Define the following term:
Interspecific competition
Interspecific competition occurs when closely related species compete for limited resources such as food and habitat.
Define stenohaline species.
Species that tolerate narrow range of salinity are called stenohaline species.
Define the following term:
Parasitism
Parasitism is generally defined as a relationship between the two living species in which one organism is benefitted at the expense of the other. The organism that is benefitted is called the parasite, while the one that is harmed is called the host.
Define community.
A community is an assemblage of populations of different species living in the same area and interacting with one another.
Define population.
Organisms of the same kind inhabiting a geographical area constitute the population.
Individuals live in groups in a well-defined geographical area, share or compete for similar resources, and potentially interbreed and thus form a population.
The population is defined as a group of individuals of a species occupying a definite geographic area at a given time.
Define mutualism.
The type of interaction in which both species are benefitted is called mutualism.
Mutualism refers to an interaction between two different species in which both benefit. (The term symbiosis is frequently used interchangeably with mutualism.)
Key Points
Key Points: Organisms and Its Environment
- Organismic ecology studies how organisms are physiologically adapted to their environment for survival and reproduction.
- Variations in temperature, rainfall, and seasons lead to the formation of different biomes and habitats.
- Abiotic factors like temperature, water, light, and soil influence habitats, and organisms evolve adaptations to survive in them.
Key Points: Population Interactions
- Organisms live in groups forming populations, and different populations together constitute a biotic community.
- Communities show species diversity, interdependence, dominance, and coexistence among different species.
- Communities interacting with their physical environment form an ecosystem with energy flow and nutrient cycling.
- All ecosystems together constitute the biosphere, the highest and most self-sustaining level of biological organization.
