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PCS Liv Env
Chapter 3 Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ecology | study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment |
| Biosphere | part of Earth where life exists including land, water, and air |
| Species | group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| Population | same species that live in same area |
| Community | different populations that live together in a defined area |
| Ecosystem | all the organisms that live in a particular place along with their nonliving environment |
| Biome | group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar communities |
| Autotroph | organisms that can capture energy from the sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer |
| Producer | another name for an autotroph |
| Photosynthesis | process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to power chemical reactions that convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches |
| Chemosynthesis | process by which some organisms use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates |
| Heterotroph | organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a consumer |
| Consumer | another name for 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 |
| 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 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 within each trophic level in a food chain or food web (Remember: lose 10% of energy as you move to next level) |
| 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 the next or from one part of the biosphere to another |
| Evaporation | process by which water changes from a liquid into 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, limiting the growth of organisms in an ecosystem |
Created by:
Ms.Sala
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