Glossary of Ecology - N

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• natural selection - happens over a long period of time and is defined as a certain trait and how species with this trait can or can not survive, and how it affects the reproduction of this good or bad trait. Therefore if a species carries a bad trait that lowers its survival rate its reproductive rate will lower as well.
• natural resource - naturally forming substances that are considered valuable in their natural or unrefined form
• negative feedback loop - feedback that reduces the output of a system. ex. when the temperature rises in a room, it turns off the thermostat so that the temperature remains stable
• neutralism - belief that changes in evolution are caused by random mutation rather than by natural selection.
• niche - a position or function of an organism in a community of related organisms.
• nitrification - the oxidation of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite
• nitrogen cycle - this is a continuous cycle by which nitrogen from the atmosphere and compounded nitrogen keeps getting exhanged through the soil into substances that can be taken up and used by green plants, what is left returns to the air as a result of denitrification.
• nitrogen fixation - conversion of nitrogen into nitrogen compounds (ex. nitrate and nitrite) that is carried out naturally by certain bacteria and algae.
• nutrient - provides nourishment and promotes growth.