click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Ecology CC
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Symbiosis | Relationship between (different) species in which at least one benefits |
| Pollution | The harmful addition to the environment (by humans) |
| Competition | When 2 or more organisms fight for a resource that is in short supply. |
| Contest Competition | An active physical confrontation between 2 organisms in which only one wins the resource |
| Predation | The act of killing and eating another animal (or organism) for food. |
| Predator | An animal (or organism ) which kills and eats an animal (or organism or prey) |
| Scramble competition | A confrontation which results in each organism getting some of the resource |
| Abiotic Factor | A non- living factor |
| Biosphere | Part(s) of earth that supports life |
| Biotic Factor | Living (organism’s influence on another organism) |
| Carnivore | An animal that feeds on animals only |
| Climatic Factor | Factors relating to long term weather conditions [which affects the distribution of organisms in an ecosystem] |
| Conservation | The wise management of the environment or organisms |
| Decomposition | The decaying of a dead organism |
| Denitrification | The conversion of nitrates into atmospheric nitrogen |
| Ecology | Study of the interaction between organisms themselves and their environment. |
| Ecosystem | Organisms and their (interactions with) environment |
| Edaphic Factor | Factors relating to the soil [which affects the distribution of organisms in a (terrestrial) ecosystem] |
| Food Web | Interconnected food chains |
| Grazing Food Chain | Feeding relationship between organisms in which energy is transferred. |
| Habitat | (Place) where a species (or an organism) lives |
| Herbivore | An animal that feeds on plants only. |
| Niche | The functional role of an organism (in an ecosystem) |
| Nitrification | The process of converting ammonia into nitrites and/or nitrites to nitrates |
| Nitrogen fixing | The conversion of nitrogen into nitrates. |
| Omnivore | An animal that eats both animals and plants. |
| Parasitism | An organism which lives in or on another causing it harm. |
| Population | The numbers of a particular species [in a particular ecosystem] |
| Prey | The animal hunted and killed by its predator |
| Primary Consumer | An organism which feeds on the primary producer. |
| Producer | An organism which makes its own food |
| Pyramid of Numbers | The amount of organisms at each trophic level. |
| Qualitative survey | A survey which indicates if a species is present or not |
| Quantitative survey | A survey which records or estimates the numbers of a species (in a particular ecosystem). |
| Secondary Consumer | An organism which feeds on the primary consumer. |
| Tertiary Consumer | An organism which feeds on the secondary consumer. |
| Trophic Level | The position of an organism in a food chain |