Term | Definition |
Carrying Capacity | The maximum population size that an environment can hold, without being affected by degradation of the habitat. |
Cellular Respiration | A chemical process which allows an organism to utilize the energy stored in sugars to create ATP. It is performed by both animals and plants. |
Chemical Equations | A symbolic representation of the process of converting energy into chemical energy. Can represent photosynthesis or cellular respiration. |
Climax community | The final stage of ecological succession. It generally consists of organism populations finding relative stability with their environment. |
commensalism | A relationship between two organisms, where at least one benefits from the relationship. The other is largely unaffected, or |
consumer | An organism that obtains its energy by feeding on organic material, or other animals. |
cyclic growth | The rise and fall of organism populations, based on interactions with other organisms. Easiest representation includes predator-prey relationships. |
decomposer | Consumer of dead tissue matter. Include fungi, detritivores, and saprophytes. |
Density dependent factors | Factors that limit the growth of populations. Density dependent are based on biotic factors. This includes competition, predation, and disease. |
Density independent factors | Factors that limit the growth of populations. Density independent are based on abiotic factors, such as natural disasters. |
ecological succession | A process where organisms begin to reinhabit an ecosystem, after a natural disturbance such as fire, or volcanic eruption. |
energy flow | The distribution of energy in an ecosystem, whether by biotic or abiotic means. |
exponential growth | A growth chart that steadily becomes larger every year. The human population is an example of exponential growth. |
logistic growth | An S shaped growth chart, that grows slowly with less organisms, much faster with the more organisms, and slows down again once it hits the carrying capacity |
mutualism | A relationship between two different types of organisms that generally benefit both parties. |
parasitism | A non mutual relationship, where one organism benefits at the expense of the other. |
photosynthesis | A process of converting solar energy into chemical energy. Only utilized by plants, or other organisms with chloroplasts. |
pioneer species | The first organisms to inhabit a previously disrupted or damaged environment. This segways into ecological succession. |
population | A group of one species that interbreed and live in the same area at the same time. |
producer | An autotrophic organism that is capable of converting solar energy into organic compounds through photosynthesis. |
products | A substance that is a result of a chemical equation. |
pyramid of energy | A graphical representation to show the amount of biomass at each trophic level. |
reactants | A substance that takes part in a chemical equation. |
steady state | A dynamic equilibrium |
symbiosis | A relationship between two organisms that are very interdependent. Can generally be beneficial for both organisms. |