A collection of different species living in the same area.
Biotic
Relating to or resulting from living organisms (E.g Introduction of a non-native species, hunting, poaching, habitat destruction, diseases).
Emerging Diseases
Infections that have recently appeared within a population or whose incidence/geographic range is rapidly increasing or threatens to increase in the future.
Continuity in Time
A habitat or population with a long, uninterrupted presence.
K Breeding Strategy
Heavy investment in each offspring, more commonly seen in long-lived organisms (e.g. elephants), with a longer period of maturation and heavy parental care.
Secondary Consumer
Animal that eats a primary consumer (E.g. snake, fox, wild cat, bird of prey).
Parallel Evolution
The process by which a similar trait develops in related, but distinct, species (E.g. woolly mammoth and elephant).
Famine
An extreme shortage of food, leading to hunger or starvation.
Drought
A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.
Scale
The size of an ecosystem (E.g. Small = a pond / Large = a rainforest)
Ecosystem
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Habitat Destruction
The process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species.
Growth
The increase in a number of individuals in a population.
Ecological Niche
The role or function of an organism within its ecosystem.
Seasonality
A characteristic of time in which there are regular and predictable changes that repeat over a one year period.
Dissolution
When a breeding pair of animals no longer interact with each other.
Population Shift
A change in the relative numbers of the different groups of individuals making up a population.
Divergent Evolution
The process where members of a species become more and more different, eventually resulting in two new species (E.g. Finches).
Speciation
Populations
that become isolated from each other evolving to become their
own distinct
species (E.g. Finches)
Genetic Variability
The likelihood of different genetic characteristics existing within a population.
Resources
A substance or object required by an organism for growth, maintenance and reproduction (Flora = light, water, temperature) (Fauna = food, water, shelter).
R Breeding Strategy
Little to no investment of resources and parental care into offspring, but produces large numbers. Typically seen in pest organisms, such as rodents and insects
Natality
The birth rate of a population in comparison to the size of the population.
Population Trend
Changes over time in the population. Can refer to various things, such as changes in dispersal, behaviour, mortality, natality.
Genetic Variability
The likelihood of different genetic characteristics existing within a population.
Mortality
Death rate, measured by the number of deaths due to a specific cause.
Ex-Situ Conservation
Conservation that takes place outside of the natural habitat (E.g. Zoos and collections, gene banks, colony relocation, research, education)
Fecundity
The fertility within a population and its ability to create an abundance of offspring.
Convergent Evolution
The process by which unrelated organisms evolve similar physical characteristics (E.g. wings on a bird, bat, insect).
Dispersal
Moving from birthing site to their breeding site, or the movement from one breeding site to another.
Migration
Seasonal movement of animals from one region to another.
Abiotic
Not derived from living organisms; physical rather than biological (E.g. Stochastic events, weather, temperature, sunlight).
Primary Consumer
Animal that eats the primary product for example grass or other flora (E.g. Rabbit, Hare, Wildebeest, Zebra, Antelope).
Metapopulation
A group of populations separated by space but that consists of the same species.
A Stochastic Event
An event that cannot be predicted (e.g. flood, drought, tsunami, earthquake)
Demes
An isolated subpopulation of a species, typically due to geographical separation.
In-Situ Conservation
Conservation that takes place in the natural habitat (E.g. protected sites or reserves, environmental management, restoration, etc)
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