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Ecology
Definitions for the chapter
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Symbiosis | Close relationship between different species in which at least one benefits |
Pollution | The harmful human addition to the environment by humans |
Pollutant | A substance that causes harm to the environment |
Competition | Struggle between organisms for the same limited resource |
Contest competition | An active physical confrontation between two organisms in which only one wins the resource |
Scramble competition | A confrontation which results in each organism getting some of the resource |
Predation | The act of killing and eating another animal/organism for food |
Predator | An animal or organism that catches, kills and eats an another animal for food |
Abiotic | A non-living factor that influences a community |
Biosphere | Part of earth that supports life |
Biotic factor | A living factor's influence on another organism |
Carnivore | An animal that feeds on animals only |
Climatic factors | Factors relating to long term weather conditions which affects the distribution of organisms in an ecosystem |
Conservation | The protection and wise management of the environment or organisms |
Decomposition | The decaying of a dead organism |
Denitrifying | The conversion of nitrates into atmospheric nitrogen |
Ecology | Study of living organisms and the interaction between each other and their abiotic environment |
Ecosystem | Community of organisms and their interactions with their environment |
Edaphic factor | Factors relating to the soil |
Food web | Interconnected food chains |
Grazing Food Chain | Feeding relationship between organism in which energy is transferred |
Habitat | Place where a species lives |
Herbivore | An animal that feeds on plants only |
Niche | The functional role of an organism in an ecosystem |
Nitrification | The process of converting ammonia into nitrates |
Nitrogen fixing | The conversion of nitrogen into nitrates |
Omnivore | An animal that eats both animals and plants |
Population | A group of individuals of the same species |
Prey | An animal hunted and killed by a predator |
Primary consumer | An organism which feeds on the primary producer |
Producer | An organism which makes its own food |
Pyramid of numbers | The approx. amount of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain |
Qualitative | A survey which indicates if a species is present or not |
Quantitative | A survey which records or estimates the numbers of species in a particular ecosystem |
Secondary consumer | An organism which feeds on the primary consumer |
Tertiary consumer | An organism which feeds on the secondary consumer |
Trophic level | The position of an organism in a food chain |
Community | A number of different species interacting with each other in an ecosystem |
Nutrient recycling | The way elements are exchanged between living and non-living components of the ecosystem |
Waste management | Collecting, processing and disposal of waste produced by humans |
Parasitism | Symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other, the host, is harmed |
Commensalism | Symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is not affected |
Mutualism | Symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit |
Endoparasite | Parasite that feeds inside the host |
Ectoparasite | Parasite that feeds on the outside of the host |