Term | Definition |
Abiotic | of or characterized by the absence of life or living organisms |
Biotic | pertaining to life. |
Habitat | The particular role of an organism in its environment including
type of food it eats, how it obtains its food and how it interacts
with other organisms is called its niche |
Biome | a complex biotic community characterized by distinctive plant and animal species and maintained under the climatic conditions of the region, especially such a community that has developed to climax. |
Niche | an ornamental recess in a wall or the like, usually semicircular in plan and arched, as for a statue or other decorative object. |
Immigration | the act of immigrating. |
Emigration | an act or instance of emigrating |
Limiting factors | an environmental factor that tends to limit population size. |
Community | All the different populations in a specific area or region at a certain time. For
example, all of the crabs, seagulls, and sea grass at the beach are part of the same
community. |
Population | All of the individuals of a given species in a specific area or region at a certain time. Members of a
population compete for food, water, space, and mates; for example, all of the loblolly pines in South Carolina. |
Ecosystem | One or more communities in an area and the
abiotic factors, including water, sunlight, oxygen, temperature,
and soil. |
Producer | a person who creates economic value, or produces goods and services. |
Consumer | an organism, usually an animal, that feeds on plants or other animals. |
Herbivore | an animal that feeds on grass and other plants |
Carnivore | a flesh-eating mammal of the order Carnivora, comprising the dogs, cats, bears, seals, and weasels. |
Omnivore | meaning that it eats both plant and animal foods. |
Scavenger | an animal or other organism that feeds on dead organic matter |
Carrying Capacity | the maximum, equilibrium number of organisms of a particular species that can be supported indefinitely in a given environment |
Predator | any organism that exists by preying upon other organisms. |
Prey | an animal hunted or seized for food, especially by a carnivorous animal. |
Renewable Resource | resources are replaced through natural processes at a rate that
is equal to or greater than the rate at which they are being used. Air,
freshwater, soil, living things, and sunlight are renewable resources |
Nonrenewable Resource | resources are exhaustible because they are being extracted
and used at a much faster rate than the rate at which they were formed. |
Soil | the portion of the earth's surface consisting of disintegrated rock and humus. |
Groundwater | •Water that soaks into the ground. Soil
and rock that allow the water to pass
through is called permeable. |
Permeable | The water enters into the zone of
aeration, which is unsaturated. |
Impermeable | not permitting the passage of a fluid through the pores, interstices, etc. |
Aquifer | any geological formation containing or conducting ground water, especially one that supplies the water for wells, springs, |
Zone of saturation | the ground below the water table |
Divide | to separate into parts, groups, sections |
Drainage basin | the area drained by a river and all its tributaries. Also called catchment area, drainage area. |
Watershed | the ridge or crest line dividing two drainage areas; water parting; divide.
2.
the region or area drained by a river, stream, etc.; drainage area. |