Ecology and Environmental Science Vocabulary

A collection of important vocabulary terms related to ecology and environmental science.

Ecology

The scientific study of the interactions of organisms with their environments.

Biotic factors

Living components of the environment.

Abiotic factors

Nonliving components of the environment.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular geographic area.

Community

An assemblage of all the populations of organisms living close enough together for potential interaction.

Ecosystem

Both the abiotic and biotic components of the environment.

Biosphere

All of Earth that is inhabited by life, extending from the atmosphere to the depths of the oceans.

Niche

The role a species plays in a community.

Habitat

The place in which an organism lives out its life.

Producers

Autotrophs that produce their own food using simple substances from their environment.

Consumers

Heterotrophs that cannot produce their own food and must rely on consuming other organisms.

Symbiotic relationships

Interactions between different species that can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one species benefits (parasite) and the other is harmed (host).

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship that is beneficial to both species.

Marine Ecosystem

Aquatic environments with high levels of salts defined by their unique biotic and abiotic factors.

Estuaries

Areas where freshwater from a river mixes with saltwater from the ocean.

Coral reefs

The 'rainforest' of the sea, providing important habitats and one of the most diverse habitats on Earth.

Terrestrial Ecosystem

Ecosystems found on land comprising a variety of biomes.

Sustainability

Using resources to meet current needs without compromising future availability.

Ethics

The study of good and bad, right and wrong; moral principles or values held by individuals or societies.

Anthropocentrism

Viewpoint that only humans have rights; anything not benefiting people has no value.

Biocentrism

Viewpoint that certain living things also have value and deserve ethical consideration.

Ecocentrism

Viewpoint that values entire ecological systems.

Controlled Experiment

An experiment where all variables are controlled except for one.

Ecological Footprint

The environmental impact of a person or population.