Abeka Science Order and Design chapter 13

pantheism

the idea that nature is god

boreal forest

cold biome with trees

carrying capacity

Maximum number of organisms of a species that an ecosystem can support

biodiversity

Number and variety of species living in an ecosystem

competition

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

food chain

list starting at producers and arranged in order of what eats what

stewardship

the responsibility God gave man to take care of the earth as he uses it

community

all the living things in an ecosystem

autotroph

An organism that makes its own food

predator

a relationship in which one animal hunts for another

optimum range

The range of environmental conditions that are best suited for an organism's survival

ecosytem

an environment and all its organisms

niche

an organism's occupation in it's environment

Sedimentary cycle

biogeochemical cycle that recycles nutrients found in the soil and rocks

hydrologic cycle

the movement of water continually recycling water between the earth and the atmosphere

overpopulation

occurs when population size is bigger than carrying capacity

limiting factor

any extreme condition that is outside of an organism's tolerance range

neutralism

occurs when organisms share only indirect contact

energy pyramid

Shows the amount of energy that moves from one trophic level to the next

ecological succession

process in which a new ecosystem develops after an ecosystem is damages or destroyed

decomposer

An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms

detritivore

organism that feeds on detritus but cannot convert it into nutrients for the soil

scavenger

organisms that feed on dead animals instead of hunting live animals

biosphere

the layer of the earth where life exists

predation

the relationship in which one animal hunts another animal for foof

saprophyte

an organism that feeds on dead and decaying organic matter

population

all the organisms of one species in an ecosystem

grassland

biome composed of plains and prairies with fertile soil

desert

biome characterized by a very dry climate

mutualism

type of relationship where both organisms benefit from each other

commensalism

type of relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed

heterotroph

organisms that cannot produce their own food

atmosphere

layer of the biosphere that is made up of air

lithosphere

layer of the biosphere that is made up of land

hydrosphere

layer of the biosphere that is made up of water

biotic factors

All the living organisms that exist in the same ecosystem as the one being studied

abiotic factors

nonliving parts of an ecosystem

ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment