Gullett-Bio-Ecology Word Scramble
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Term | Definition |
ecology | the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment |
ecosystem | the community of organisms and their abiotic environment |
community | a group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other |
population | a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area and interbreed |
biotic | describes living factors in the environment |
abiotic | describes nonliving factors in the environment |
ecological niche | all of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce in an ecosystem |
biomass | total dry mass of all organisms in a given area |
herbivore | an organism that eats only plants |
carnivore | an organism that eats animals |
omnivore | an organism that eats a variety of other organisms, including animals and plants |
detritivore | organism that eats dead organic mater |
decomposer | an organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from organic matter; examples include bacteria and fungi |
trophic level | one of the steps in a food chain or food pyramid; examples include produces and primary, secondary, and teriary consumers |
food chain | the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms |
food web | a diagram that shows the feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem |
biodiversity | the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem |
keystone species | a species that is critical to the functioning of the ecosystem in which it lives because it affects the survival and abundance of many other species in its community |
autotroph | an organism that produces its own nutriens from inorganic susbstances or from the environment instead of consuming other organisms |
heterotroph | an organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their byproducts and that cannot synthesize organic compounds from inorganic materials |
energy pyramid | triangular diagarm that shows an ecosystem's loss of energy, which results as energy passed through the ecosystem's food chain; each row represents a trophic leel in an ecosystem, and the area of a row represents the energy stored in that trophic level |
ecological equivalent | organisms that share a similar niche but live in different geographical regions |
competition | ecological relationship in which two organisms attempt to obtain the same resource |
symbiosis | a relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other |
mutualism | a relationship between two species in which both species benefit |
commensalism | a relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and ther is unaffected |
population density | measure of individuals living in a defined area |
exponential growth | logarithmic growth, or growth by which numbers increase by a certain factor in each successive time period; described by a J-shaped curve |
logistic growth | population growth that starts with a minimum number of individuals and reaches a maximum depending on carrying capacity of the region; described by an S-shaped curve |
carrying capacity | the largest population that an environment can support at any given time |
limiting factor | environmental factor that limits the growth and size of a population |
density-dependent limiting factor | environmental resistance that affects a population that has become overly crowded |
density-independent limiting factor | environmental resistance that affects a population regardless of population density |
habitat fragmentation | process by which part of an organism's preferred habitat range becomes inaccessible |
introduced species | species that is not native and was brought to an area as a result of human activities |
competitive exclusion | the exclusion of one species by another due to competition |
biosphere | all organisms and the part of Earth where they exist |
biodiversity | the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem |
species | a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring; also the level of classification below genus and above subspecies |
Created by:
lpgullett
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