Ecology Terminology and Levels of Organization

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts and terminology in ecology and levels of biological organization.

Ecology

The study of the interactions and relationships between different organisms with each other and organisms and their environment.

Interdependence

The unified existence of life that sustains biodiversity and the biosphere.

Sustainable

Something that can be done for a long time or repeatedly without being destructive.

Renewable resources

Energy sources or products that are sustainable and won’t run out.

Biodegradable

Materials that decomposers can break down and recycle back into an ecosystem.

Conservation

The wise management of resources with the future in mind.

Population

A group of the same species living together.

Community

All the different populations living together in a specific environment.

Producer

Organisms that produce chemical energy and oxygen from non-living substances through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Consumer

Organisms that consume or eat living materials; includes herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, apex consumers, and detritivores.

Decomposer

Organisms that use enzymes to break down living or dead materials and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Keystone species

A species that keeps the community stable; producers and decomposers are always keystone species.

Ecosystem

The entire community of organisms and all the abiotic factors within a specific environment.

Biodiversity

All the variety of species in an ecosystem or in the entire biosphere.

Biome

A group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar communities.

Biosphere

The Earth itself and all its lifeforms.