Ecology 2022

Ecology

Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

Habitat

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Biome

A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms

Community

All the different populations that live together in an area

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Abiotic Factors

Nonliving components of environment.

Biotic Factors

All the living organisms that inhabit an environment

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

Limiting Factors

Conditions in the environment that put limits on where an organism can live

climax community

A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species over time

Pioneer Species

First species to populate an area during primary succession

primary succession

An ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed

secondary succession

Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil

logistic growth

Growth pattern in which a population's growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth

exponential growth

Growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate

predator

An animal that hunts other animals for food

density dependent factors

A limiting factor of a population wherein large, dense populations are more strongly affected than small, less crowded ones.

density-independent factors

limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways, regardless of population size

mutualistic

both organisms benefit

Commensalism

Relationship where one organisms benefits, the other isn't effected

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

symbiotic relationship

close interaction between species in which one species lives in or on the other

niche

Full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions

population density

A measurement of the number of people per given unit of land

prey

An organism that is killed and eaten by another organism

competition

the struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources

host

an animal or plant that nourishes and supports a parasite

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food

Heterotroph

organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a consumer

food chain

A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

food web

a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms

trophic level

Each step in a food chain or food web

Biomass

total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

carbon cycle

The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

water cycle

The continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back

nitrogen cycle

The transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms, and back to the atmosphere