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NMS Science 6 Unit 1
Ecology Unit vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ecology | the study of how organisms interact with one another and with the environment |
| biotic factor | an interaction between organisms in an area |
| abiotic factor | a nonliving part of an environment, such as water, nutrients, soil, sunlight, rainfall or temperature |
| population | a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same place at the same time |
| species | organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring |
| community | all the populations of different species that live and interact in an area |
| ecosystem | a community of organisms and their nonliving environment |
| biome | large regions characterized by climate and communities of species |
| niche | the role the population plays in the ecosystem |
| habitat | the place where an organism usually lives and is part of an organism's niche |
| producer | uses energy to make food |
| decomposer | an organism that get energy and nutrients by breaking down the remains of other organisms |
| consumer | an organism that eats other organisms |
| herbivore | a consumer that eats only plants |
| carnivore | eats other animals |
| omnivore | eats both plants and animals |
| food chain | the path of energy transfer from producers to consumers |
| food web | the feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem |
| carrying capacity | the maximum number of individuals of one species that the environment can support |
| limiting factor | a part of the environment that keeps a population's size below its full potential |
| competition | when two or more individuals or populations try to use the same limited resource ( like water, food or shelter) |
| cooperation | when individuals work together |
| predator | eats another animal (usually hunts and kills another animal for food) |
| prey | the animal that is eaten by a predator |
| symbiosis | a close long-term relationship between different species in a community |
| mutualism | a symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit |
| commensalism | a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is unaffected |
| parasitism | a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and another is harmed |
| immigration | happens when individuals join or move into a population |
| emigration | happens when individuals leave or move out of a population |
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NMSma