| Term | Definition |
|---|
| ecology | scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment |
| biosphere | part of earth in which life exists including land, water, and air or atmosphere |
| species | group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| population | group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area |
| community | assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area |
| ecosystem | collection of all the organisms that live in a perticular place together with their non-living environment |
| biome | group of ecosystems that have the same climate and dominant communities |
| autotroph | organism that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer |
| producer | organism that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called an autotroph |
| photosynthesis | process by which plants and other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high energy carbs such as sugar and starches |
| chemosynthesis | process by which some organisms such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates |
| heterotroph | organism that obtains energy from the food it consumes, also called consumer |
| consumer | organism that relies on other organisms for its energy and food supply, also called heterotroph |
| herbivore | organism that obtains energy by eating only plants |
| onmivore | organism that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals |
| carnivore | organism that obtains energy by eating animals |
| detrivore | organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter |
| decomposer | organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter |
| food chain | series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten |
| food web | network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem |
| trophic level | step in a food chain or web |
| ecological pyramid | diagram that shows the relative amount of energy or matter within each trophic level in a food chain or a food web |
| biomass | total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level |
| biogeochemical cycle | process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are pasesd from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another |
| evaporation | process by which water changes from a liquid into an atmospheric gas |
| transpiration | loss of water from a plant through its leaves |
| nutrient | chemical substance that an organism requires to live |
| nitrogen fixation | process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia |
| denitrification | conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas |
| primary productivity | rate at which organic matter is created by producers in an eco system |
| limiting nutrient | single nutrient that either is scarce of cycles very slowly limiting the growth of organisms in an ecosystem |
| algal bloom | an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other producers that results from a large input of a limiting nutrient |
| weather | condition of earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place |
| climate | average year after year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region |
| greenhouse effect | natural situation in which heat is retained in earth's atmosphere by CO2, methane, h20, and other gasses |
| polar zone | cold climate zone where the suns rays strike earth at a very low angle |
| temperate zone | moderate climate zone between the polar zones and the tropics |
| tropical zone | warm climate zone that recieves direct or nearly direct sunlight year round |
| biotic factor | biological influence on organisms within an ecosystem |
| abiotic factor | physical or non-living factor that shapes an ecosystem |
| habitat | the area where an organism lives including the biotic and abiotic factors that affect it |
| niche | full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses the conditions |
| resource | any necessity of life such as water, nutrients, light, food or space |
| competitive exclusion principle | ecological rule that states no two species can occupy the same exact niche in the same habitat at the same time |
| predation | interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism |
| symbiosis | relationship in which two species live closely together |
| mutualism | symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship |
| commensalism | symbiotic relationship in which one member benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed |
| parasitism | symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives in or on another (the host) and concequently harms it |
| ecological succession | gradual change in living communities that follows a disturbance |
| primary succession | succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists |
| pioneer species | first species to populate an area during primary succession |
| secondary succession | sucession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil |
| population density | number of individuals per unit of area |
| immigration | movement of individuals into an area occpied by an existing population |
| emigration | movement of individuals out of an area |
| exponential growth | growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate |
| logistic growth | growth pattern in which a populations growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth |
| carrying capacity | largest number of individuals of a population that a given environment can support |
| limiting factor | factor that causes the growth of a population to decrease |
| density-dependent limiting factor | limiting factor that depends on a population wise |
| predator prey relationship | mechanism of population control in which a population is regulated by predation |
| density-independent limiting factor | limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways regardless of population size |
| biodiversity | biological diversity; the sum total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere |
| ecosystem diversity | variety of habitats, living communities, and ecological processes in the living world |
| species diversity | number of different species in the biosphere |
| genetic diversity | sum total of all the different forms of genetic information carried by all organisms living on earth today |
| extinction | disappearance of a species from all parts of its geographic range |
| endangered species | species whos population size is rapidly declining and will become extinct if the trend continues |
| habitat fragmentation | splitting of ecosystems into small fragments |
| biological magnification | increasing concentration of a harmful substance in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or web |
| invasive species | plants and animals that have migrated to places where they are not native |
| conservation | wise management of natural resources including the preservation of habitats and wildlife |
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