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Ecology
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| ecology | The scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their physical environments |
| biosphere | Our entire planet; consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere |
| species | A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| population | A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area |
| community | An assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area |
| ecosystem | All the organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment |
| biome | A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms |
| biotic factor | Any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact, including animals, plants, mushrooms, and bacteria |
| abiotic factor | Any nonliving part of the environment, such as sunlight, heat, precipitation, humidity, wind, water currents, soil type, etc. |
| autotroph | Organism that is able to capture food from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer |
| heterotroph | Organism that obtains food by consuming other living things; also called a consumer |
| consumer | Organism that relies on other organisms for energy and nutrients |
| carnivore | Organisms that kill and eat other animals (ex: snakes, dogs, cats) |
| herbivore | Organisms that obtain energy and nutrients by eating plant leaves, roots, seeds, or fruits (do not kill and eat other animals) (ex: cows, caterpillars, deer) |
| scavenger | Animals that consume the carcasses of other animals that have been killed by predators or have died of other causes (ex: vulture) |
| omnivore | Animals whose diets naturally include a variety of different foods that usually include both plants and animals (ex: humans, bears, pigs) |
| decomposer | Organisms that “feed” by chemically breaking down organic matter (ex: bacteria and fungi) |
| ecological succession | process by which an ecosystem changes over time |
| pioneer organisms | FIRST organisms to populate barren land. They prepare area for future organisms. |
| habitat | specific area where an organism lives |
| niche | each organism has its own role (job) in a community |
| biodiversity | variety of organisms and niches in an ecosystem |
| food chain | Transfer of energy from one organism to another in a community |
| food webs | shows many food chains interconnected |
| climax community | final stage of ecological succession; most stable |
| limiting factor | anything that limits or controls the size of a population |
| carrying capacity | maximum number of organisms that an ecosystem can support |
| mutualism | both species benefit from the relationship |
| predator-prey | one organism catches and feeds upon another organism |
| parasitism | one organism lives in or on another organism and harms it |
| commensalism | One member of the relationship benefits and the other member is neither helped nor harmed. |
Created by:
Mrs. Lazar