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ecology vocab words
vocabulary words for ecology
Term | Definition |
---|---|
ecology | scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment |
biosphere | part of Earth in which life exists including land, water, and air or atmosphere |
species | group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring |
population | group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area |
community | assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area |
ecosystem | collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their nonliving environment |
biome | group of ecosystems that have the same climate and dominant communities |
autotroph | organisms that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer |
producer | organisms that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called an autotroph |
photosynthesis | process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches |
chemosynthesis | process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates |
heterotroph | organisms that obtains energy from the food it consumes; also called a consumer |
consumer | organisms that relies on other organisms for its energy and food supply; also called a heterotroph |
herbivore | organism that obtains energy by eating only plants |
carnivore | organism that obtains energy by eating animals |
omnivore | organism that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals |
detritivore | organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter |
decomposer | organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter |
food chain | series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten |
food web | network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem |
trophic level | step in a food chain or food web |
ecological pyramid | diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter within each trophic level in a food chain or food web |
biomass | total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level |
biogeochemical cycle | process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another |
evaporation | process by which water changes from a liquid to an atmospheric gas |
transpiration | loss of water from a plant through its leaves |
nutrient | chemical substance that an organism requires to live |
nitrogen fixation | process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia |
denitrification | conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas |
primary productivity | rate at which organic matter is created by producers in an ecosystem |
limiting nutrient | single nutrient that either is scarce or cycles very slowly, liming the growth of organisms in an ecosystem |
algal bloom | an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other producers that results from a large input of a limiting nutrient |