| Term | Definition |
|---|
| abiotic factor | physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem |
| biotic factor | biological influence on organisms within an ecosystem |
| competitive exclusion principle | ecological rule that states that no two species can occupy the same exact niche in the same habitat at the same time |
| commensalism | symbiotic relationship in which one member of the association benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed |
| ecological succession | gradual change in living communities that follows a disturbance |
| habitat | the area where an organism lives, including the biotic and abiotic factors that affect it |
| mutualism | symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship |
| niche | full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions |
| parasitism | symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives in or on another organism (the host) and consequently harms it |
| pioneer species | first species to populate an area during primary succession |
| predation | interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism |
| primary succession | succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists |
| resource | any necessity of life, such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space |
| secondary succession | succession following a disturbance that destorys a community without destroying the soil |
| symbiosis | relationship in which two species live closely together |
Combine with other sets
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