Ecology Vocab

Terms in this set (28)

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 between organisms in an ecosystem
energy pyramid
a triangular diagram that shows an ecosystem's loss of energy, which results as energy passes through the ecosystem's food chain
herbivore
an organism that eats only plants
carnivore
an organism that eats animals
omnivore
an organsim that eats both plants and animals
decomposer
organisms that get energy by breaking down dead organisms
predator
an organism that eats all or part of another organism
prey
an organism that is killed and eaten by another organism
biodiversity
variety of life in an ecosystem most commonly measured by the number of species that live in a given area
symbiosis
a realtionship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other
commensalism
a relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
mutualism
a relationship between two species in which both species benefit
parasitism
a relationship between two species in which one species, the parasite, benefits from the other species, the host, which is harmed
niche
the unique ways an organism survives, obtains food and shelter, and avoids danger
scavenger
omnivores that eat dead plants and animals
coevolution
the evolution of two species that is due to mutual influence, often in a way that makes the relationship more beneficial to both species
producer
organisms that use sunlight directly to make food
consumer
organisms that eat other organisms
biosphere
the part of Earth where life exists
ecology
the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment
ecosystem
a community of organsims and their abiotic environment
community
all the populations of species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other
carrying capacity
the largest population that an environment can support at any given time
competition
occurs when two or more organisms seek the same resource at the same time
habitat
place where an organism lives and that provides the types of food, shelter, moisture, and temperature needed for survival
limiting factor
anything that can restrict the size of a population, including living and nonliving features of an ecosystem, such as predators or drought
population
a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area
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