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chapter 18 vocab
introduction to ecology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| abiotic factor | an environmental factor that is not associated with the activities of living organisms |
| ammonification | the formation of ammonia compounds in the soil by the action of bacteria on decaying matter |
| biosphere | the part f the earth where life exists; includes all of the living organisms on earth |
| biotic factor | an environmental factor that is associated with or results from the activities of living organisms |
| biomass | any organic material that has been produced in an ecosystem |
| biogeochemical cycle | the circulation of substances through living organisms from or to the environment |
| community | a group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other |
| acclimation | an organisms change in response to a change in the organisms environment |
| consumer | an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter instead of producing its own nutrients or obtaining nutrients from inorganic sources |
| chemosynthesis | the production of carbohydrates through the use of energy from inorganic molecules instead of light |
| carnivore | an organism that eats animals |
| carbon cycle | the movement of carbon from the nonliving environment into living things and back |
| dormancy | a state in which seeds spores bulbs and other reproductive organs stop growth and development and reduce the metabolism especially respiration |
| detritivore | a consumer that feeds on dead organisms or on the parts or wastes of other organisms |
| decomposer | an organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms; examples include bacteria and fungi |
| denitrification | the liberation of nitrogen from nitrogen containing compounds by bacteria in the soil |
| ecology | the study of the interactions between organisms and other living and nonliving components of their environment |
| ecological model | a model that represents or describes the relationships between the components of an ecological system |
| ecosystem | a community of organisms and their abiotic environment |
| food chain | the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms |
| food web | a diagram that shows the feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem |
| gross primary productivity | the rate at which organic matter is assimilated by plants and other producers during a period of time over a certain area |
| ground water | the water that is beneath the earth's surface |
| habitat | the place where an organism usually lives |
| herbivore | an organism that only eats plants |
| interdependence | the dependence of every organism on its connections with other living and nonliving parts of its envrionment |
| migration | in general, any movement of individuals or populations from one location to another; specifically as periodic group movement that is characteristic of a given population or species |
| niche | the unique position occupied by a species both in terms of its physical use of its habitat and its function within an ecological community |
| net primary productivity | the rate at which biomass accumulates in an ecosystem |
| nitrogen cycle | the process in which nitrogen circulates among the air, soil, water, plants and animals in an ecosystem |
| nitrogen fixtation | the process by which gaseous nitrogen is converted into nitrates compounds that organisms can use to make amino acids and other nitrogen- containing organic molecules |
| nitrogen fixing bacteria | a bacterium that converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia |
| nitrification | the process by which nitrites and nitrates are produced by bacteria in the soil |
| omnivore | an organism that eats a variety of other organisms including animals and plants |
| population | a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area and interbreed |
| producer | an organism that can make organic molecules from inorganic molecules; a photosynthetic or chemosynthetic autotroph that serves as the basic food sources in an ecosystem |
| phosphorus cycle | the cyclic movement of phophorus in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment |
| tolerance curve | a graph of the performance of an organism versus the value of an environmental variable |
| trophic level | an organisms relative position in a sequence of energy transfers in a food chain or food pyramid, examples include producers and primary, secondary and tertiary consumers |
| transpiration | the process by which plants release water vapor into the air through stomata; also the release of water vapor into the air by other organisms |
| water cycle | the continuous movement of water between the atmosphere, the land, and the oceans |
Created by:
campbellm19
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