A-B / C-D / E-F / G-H / I-J / K-L / M-N / O-P / Q-R / S-T / U-V / W-X / Y-Z
I-J
Inbreeding Depression
Inbreeding depression is reduced viability and function in terms of biological fitness in a given population as a result of inbreeding, or breeding of related individuals. Inbreeding depression is often the result of a population bottleneck in which populations are small or isolated. Biological fitness of an individual and therefore population depends on the individuals’ ability to survive and perpetuate genetic material, as well as purging deleterious alleles by mating with individuals with a higher probability of heterozygosity.
Indicator Species
A specific species or organism selected for monitoring by scientists in order to get a general indication of the health of the ecosystem in which the species lives.
IFT (Interagency Field Team)
[Mexican Gray Wolves]
This team is comprised of personnel from all agencies involved in managing Mexican wolves in the wild. These agencies include AGFD, NMDGF, USFWS, USDA, and WMAT. The IFT is directly responsible for daily management of Mexican wolves in the recovery area.
Instrumental Value
(Environmental Ethics) The value of things as means to further some other ends.
Interference Competition
One organism prevents other organisms from using the resource.
Intraguild Predation
The killing and sometimes eating of potential competitors.
“THE ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF INTRAGUILD PREDATION: Potential Competitors That Eat Each Other”. Gary A. Polis; Christopher A. Myers. Department of General Biology, Vanderbilt University. 2014
Interspecific Competition
A form of competition in which individuals of different species compete for the same resources in an ecosystem (e.g. food or living space).
Intraspecific Competition
An interaction in population ecology, whereby members of the same species compete for limited resources.
Intrinsic Value
(Environmental Ethics) The intrinsic value of something is said to be the value that that thing has “in itself,” or “for its own sake,” or “as such,” or “in its own right.”