science ecology

abiotic factor

physical or nonliving thing that shapes an ecosystem

biotic factor

Any living part of the environment in which an organism might interact

Community

A group of organisms of different species that live in the same habitat/defined region

biodiversity

The total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere

biosphere

Part of the Earth in which life exists, including a land, water air or atmosphere includes all ecosystems

biome

A group of ecosystems that share similar climate and typical organisms

population

Groups of individuals of the same species that live in the same area

climax community

A fully developed ecosystem with great biodiversity

pioneer species

The first species to populate an area during succession

primary succession

The process by which an ecosystem changes and developed for the first time over a long period of time. occurs in an area in which no trace of a previous community is present.

secondary succession

After the ecosystem is destroyed in succession, occurs for second time. occurs in an area that was only partially destroyed by disturbances

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits in the other is neither harmed nor benefits from the relationship

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits, the other is harmed from a relationship

mutualism

A somatic relationship when both organisms benefit from their relationship

prey

An organism that is killed or eaten by another

host

an organism that harbors, a parasitic of mutual or commensal, symbion, typically, providing nourishment and shelter

Predator

An organism that hunter kills other organisms for food

ecological pyramids

Shows a relative amounts of various parameters (such as number of organisms, energy, and biomass) across trophic levels

biogeochemical cycle

Processing which elements chemical compounds and other forms of matter are passed from one part of the biosphere to the other example examples include water, cycle, carbon cycle, and nitrogen cycle that maintain the ecosystem

Food chain

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

food web

A network of complex interactions formed by feeding relationships among various organisms in the ecosystem. There's more than one pathway of energy transferring.

Trophic level

The position an organism occupied in a food chain

Keystone species

A single species that is not usually abundant in the community yet exert strong control on the structure of a community

decomposers

Organisms like fungi, that breakdown, dead organisms, and return nutrients back to the soil

carrying capacity

The largest number of individuals of a particular species that a particular environment can support based on the resources it has

limiting factor

Anything that causes population growth to decrease can be both abiotic or biotic factors

renewable resources

Resources that can be produced or replaced by a healthy ecosystem, so long as we don't overuse them

non-renewable resources

Resources that cannot be replenished by natural process within a reasonable amount of time

biomass

The total amount of living tissues within a given trophic level