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Ecology Vocab
Mrs. Dionne 7th Science
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ecosystem | A system of living and nonliving things interacting in an environment. |
| Biotic | Living parts of an ecosystem (plants, animals, bacteria). |
| Abiotic | Nonliving parts of an ecosystem (sunlight, water, soil, air). |
| Producer | An organism that makes its own food (plants). |
| Photosynthesis | The process by which producers capture light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into food (glucose). |
| Cellular Respiration | The process used by all living organisms to release the energy stored in food (glucose), using oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water. |
| Consumer | An organism that eats other organisms for energy. |
| Organism | Any living thing, such as a plant, animal, fungus, bacterium, or protist. |
| Species | A group of organisms that can reproduce and produce fertile offspring. |
| Population | A group of the same species living in an area. |
| Biodiversity | The variety of life in an ecosystem. |
| Adaptation | A trait that helps an organism survive. |
| Keystone Species | A species that has a major impact on an ecosystem. |
| Predation | An interaction where one organism (the predator) hunts, kills, and eats another organism (the prey) for food. This is a key relationship that helps maintain balance in an ecosystem. |
| Competition | The struggle between two or more organisms to obtain the same limited resource in an ecosystem. These resources could be food, water, shelter, space, or mates. |
| Decomposer | An organism that breaks down dead matter. |
| Food Web | A model that shows how multiple food chains connect in an ecosystem. It illustrates the complex relationships between organisms as they eat and are eaten by different species. |
| Food Chain | A model that shows how energy moves through an ecosystem by displaying a sequence of organisms, each dependent on the one below it for food. |
| 10% Rule | The amount of energy that is transferred from one trophic level is passed to the next level in a food chain or food web. |
| Limiting Factor | Anything that limits the growth of a population. |
| Symbiosis | A close and long-term relationship between two different species in an ecosystem. These interactions can be helpful, harmful, or neutral. |
| Mutualism | A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit from the interaction. |
| Commensalism | A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed. |
| Parasitism | A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed. |
| Parasite | An organism that lives on or inside another organism, called the host, and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense. This organism often harms their hosts but usually does not kill them outright, as they rely on the host for survival. |
| Host | The organism a parasite lives on or in. |
| Carrying Capacity | The maximum number of organisms an environment can support. |
| Ecosystem Disruption | A major change in an ecosystem that affects populations. |
| Habitat Destruction | Loss of an environment due to human activity. |
| Mitigation | The process of reducing or preventing the negative effects of environmental problems, natural disasters, or human activities. |
| Conservation | The protection, preservation, and responsible management of natural resources to prevent damage and ensure they are available for future generations. |
| Ecosystem Stability | The ability of an ecosystem to remain balanced. |
| Density Dependent Factors | A factor that affects populations differently depending on their size (e.g., food, predators). |
| Density Independent Factors | A factor that affects all populations the same way (e.g., natural disasters). |
| Boom and Bust Cycle | A pattern where populations grow rapidly and then suddenly crash. |
| Predator Prey Cycle | A pattern where prey populations increase, followed by predator populations increasing. |
| Habitat | The natural environment where an organism lives, grows, and survives. It provides the food, water, shelter, and space that an organism needs to thrive. |
| Birth Rate | Number of births in a population. |
| Death Rate | Number of deaths in a population. |
| Immigration | Organisms moving into a population. |
| Emigration | Organisms moving out of a population. |
| Interaction | The way living and nonliving things affect each other in an ecosystem. |
| Niche | An organism’s role in its environment. |
| Pollination | The transfer of pollen for plant reproduction. |
| Seed Dispersal | The movement of seeds to new locations. |
| Parental Care | Behaviors that help offspring survive. |
| Trophic Level | A step in a food chain or food web that represents how energy moves through an ecosystem. |
| Energy Pyramid | A diagram that shows how energy flows through different trophic levels in an ecosystem. It illustrates how energy decreases as it moves up the food chain. |
| Human Impact | Ways humans change ecosystems (pollution, habitat destruction). |
| Invasive Species | A species that enters a new ecosystem and disrupts balance. |
| Natural Disaster | A naturally occurring event that causes ecosystem damage (wildfires, floods, etc). |
| Urbanization | The process where rural areas are transformed into cities or towns as people move in, and land is developed for housing, businesses, and infrastructure. |
| Deforestation | The destruction of forests for human use. |
| Overfishing | Removing too many fish from an ecosystem. |
| Pollution | Contaminating air, water, or land. |
| Climate Change | Long-term shifts in weather patterns. |
| Extinction | When a species disappears completely. |
| Endangered Species | Species at risk of extinction. |
| Ecosystem Services | Benefits humans get from nature (clean water, food, oxygen). |
| Sustainable Resource Use | Using resources in a way that does not deplete them. |
| Biodegradable Materials | Products that break down naturally over time. |
| Renewable Energy | Energy sources that do not run out (solar, wind). |
| Nonrenewable Resources | Natural resources that cannot be replenished or regenerated on a human timescale. Once they are consumed, they are depleted and cannot be replaced quickly. These resources typically take millions of years to form and exist in limited quantities. |
| Green Technology | The development and use of technologies that minimize the negative impacts of human activities on the environment and society. |
| Carbon Footprint | The amount of greenhouse gases a person or activity emits. |
| Ecological Footprint | The amount of land and water needed to support a person’s lifestyle. |
| Restoration | Bringing an ecosystem back to health. |
| Reforestation | Planting trees to restore lost forests. |
| Protected Areas | Regions where human activities are limited. |
| Wildlife Corridors | Pathways connecting habitats for migration. |
| Cost-Benefit Analysis | Weighing the pros and cons of an action. |
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