Ecology - 9th Grade Biology

parasitism(+/-)

One species feeds off another

Ecology

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

Organism

An individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form

Population

Groups of individuals belonging to the same species that live in the same region at the same time

Community

A group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Biome

A group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms

Biotic

Living things

Abiotic

Non-living things

Biodiversity

The number of species within a specific habitat.

Keystone Species

A species that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem

Precipitation

Any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth's surface.

Surface run-off

Water that stays on top of the land and flows back to a water source.

Surface Water

Water above the surface of the land

Groundwater

Water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock.

Evaporation

The change of a substance from a liquid to a gas

Transpiration

Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant

Condensation

The change from a gas to a liquid, in the form of clouds

Biogeochemical Cycle

The circulation of substances and elements through biotic and abiotic factors

Oxygen Cycle

The process by which oxygen is exchanged between the earth and its atmosphere.

Photosynthesis

Process in which plants take in sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to make glucose.

Cellular Respiration

The process by which cells use oxygen to produce energy (ATP) from food

Carbon Cycle

The transfer of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

Producer

Organism that makes its own food

Autotroph

Organism that makes its own food (Another name for producer)

Consumer

Organism that must eat other organisms for nutrients

Heterotroph

An organism that cannot make its own food and must consume other organisms

Carbohydrate

Group of compounds made of sugars

Chemosynthesis

Process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

Food Chain

A diagram showing a series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy.

Herbivore

An organism that only eats plants

Carnivore

An organism that eats only animals (meat)

Omnivore

An organism that eats both plants and animals

Detritivore

An organism that eats only dead things

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead and decaying matter

Generalist

An organism that eats just about anything

Trophic Level

Step in a food chain or food web

Food Web

A system of interlocking food chains

Energy Pyramid

A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web

Kilocalorie

Unit of energy measurement, commonly used in food pyramids

Biomass

A measure of the total dry mass of organisms within a particular region

Biomass Pyramid

Diagram representing the biomass in each trophic level of an ecosystem

Pyramid of Numbers

representation of the number of individual organisms in each trophic level of an ecosystem

Habitat

Place where an organism lives

Niche

An organisms particular role in its ecosystem

Symbiosis

A relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other

Mutualism (+/+)

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

Parasitism (+/-)

A relationship between two organisms in which one is harmed and one benefits

Commensalism (+/0)

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Predation (+/-)

An interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism

Carrying Capacity

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

Competition (-,-)

the struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources (the stronger one wins)

Biosphere

Consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Fundamental Niche

Where the species could live

Realized Niche

where a species actually lives

What is the Competitive Exclusion principle?

no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time (stronger will win)

Approximate Equillibrium

When ecosystems fall in balance

ecological niche

the sum of a species' use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment

ecological equivalents

species that occupy similar niches but live in different geographical regions

Ecological Efficiency

Percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to another in a food chain or web (10%)

Food web

Multiple food chains

List a sample Food Chain in the desert

Cactus --> Wood Rat --> Rattle Snake --> Hawk

List a sample Food Chain in the arctic

Algae --> Plankton --> Krill --> Arctic Cod --> Leopard Seal --> Polar bear

List a sample Food Chain in the grasslands

Grass --> Grasshopper --> Frog --> Snake

List a sample Food Chain in the rainforest

Ferns/Shrubs --> Tapir --> Leopards