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Ecology Vocabulary
Ecology Vocabulary for students in Biology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Microorganism | An organism that is too small to be seen by the naked eye. |
| Decomposition | The process of breaking down a substance into smaller components of organic matter; decay |
| Nitrogen Fixation | Bacterial action that results in the combination of atmospheric nitrogen with other elements; making nitrogen available for use by plants |
| Health | An organism's state from being free from any disease or ailment. |
| Fermentation | A metabolic process that converts sugars to acids, gasses, and/or alcohol to produce ATP; doesn't involve Electric Transport Chain and produces less ATP than respiration. |
| Extremophile | Any organism that thrives in extreme environments. |
| Yeast | A single-celled fungus; some species are beneficial, and others are parasitic |
| Primary Succession | The development of an ecological community in a previously uninhabited location. |
| Secondary Succession | The development of an ecological community in an area that was once inhabited, but experienced devastation. |
| Climax Community | The dynamically stable ecological community representing the final stage of ecological succession. |
| Natural Disaster | A force of nature that results in catastrophic consequences. |
| Habitat Destruction | The alteration of the area and conditions in which an organism lives so that the organisms can no longer live in them. |
| Limiting Factor | An environmental factor that limits the growth of a population. |
| Biodiversity | The sum of the different forms of living things in a given area or population. |
| Pioneer Species | The first plant species to grow during Primary Succession |
| Predator | An organism that captures and consumes another organism for nourishment. |
| Prey | An organism that is captured and consumed by another organism for nourishment. |
| Parasitism | The symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed. |
| Parasite | An organism that lives in or on another organism (host) and causes harm to the host. |
| Host | An organism within or upon which another organism (parasite) resides. |
| Niche | The ecological role played by an organism. |
| Habitat | The area and condition in which an organism lives in. |
| Interspecific | Activity occurring between two or more species. |
| Intraspecific | Activity occurring within a species |
| Pollinator | Something that carries pollen from the anther to the stigma in flowering plants. |
| Food Chain | A single linear path of energy transfer through the trophic levels of an ecosystem. |
| Food Web | A complex of interconnected food chains showing the trophic interactions in an ecosystem. |
| Trophic Level | An organism’s position on a food chain. |
| Ecological Pyramid | A representation of the organisms in an ecosystem organized into separate trophic levels with producers at the bottom and top predators at the top. |
| Tundra | A biome characterized by vast, treeless plains and extremely cold temperatures. |
| Taiga | A biome characterized by its coniferous evergreen forests and cold temperatures. |
| Desert | A biome characterized by very low annual rates of precipitation and sparse vegetation. |
| Rainforest | A biome characterized by high biodiversity, humid climate, and high annual precipitation. |
| Grasslands | A biome characterized by a primary vegetation of grasses, warm-to-hot climates, and moderate rainfall. |
| Temperate Forest | A biome characterized by high biodiversity, four distinct seasons, and moderate climate. |
| Primary Consumer | An animal that eats the producers. |
| Secondary Consumer | An animal that eats the primary consumers. |
| Tertiary Consumer | An animal that eats the secondary consumers. |
| Quaternary Consumer | An animal that eats the tertiary consumers. |
| Nutrient Cycle | Cycling of organic and inorganic matter through living organisms and the environment. |
| Ammonification | The process of converting nitrogen into ammonium by bacteria. |
| Carbon Cycle | The continuous movement of carbon among the abiotic environment and living things. |
| Denitrification | The reduction of oxidized forms of nitrogen (nitrates), ultimately resulting in molecular nitrogen. |
| Detrivore | An organism that feeds on dead or decaying plant or animal remains. |
| Legume | A family of plants including beans, alfalfa, and peas, most of which harbor symbiotic, nitrogen- fixing bacteria in nodules in their roots. |
| Lithosphere | The outermost part of the Earth, comprising the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. |
| Nitrification | The biological transformation of ammonia or ammonium to nitrites and nitrates. |
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