Unit 6 Ecology Vocab

abiotic

non-living factors in the environment

biotic

living factors in the environment

organism

Any living thing

ecology

the study of the interaction between organisms and the environment

biosphere

The ecosystems of planet earth

individual

one organism, a single living thing

biome

An area with similar climate and ecosystems

population

a group of interbreeding organisms, of the same species living in the same area (all of the deer in the forest)

ecosystem

all the organisms living in the same area AND their nonliving environment

community

all the organisms of all types living in the same area

producer

An organism that gets its energy from the sun

consumer

An organisms that gets its energy from eating other organisms

decomposer

An organism that gets its energy from breaking down dead organisms

carnivore

A type of consumer that eats only other animals

herbivore

A type of consumer that eats only plants

omnivore

A type of consumer that eats both plants and animals

predator-prey

When one organism feeds on another organism

parasitism

A symbiotic relationship in which the health of one organism benefits and the health of the other is harmed

competition

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

carrying capacity

The largest population that an area can support

limiting factor

An environmental factor that prevents a population from increasing

Energy Flow through Food Webs

Only about 10% of usable energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. Reason: usable energy lost as heat

food web

network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem

Matter

Anything that has mass and takes up space

Species

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

resource

any necessity of life, such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space

symbiotic relationship

The relationship between two species that live in close association with each other

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

Commensalism

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

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

Energy pyramid

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

Habitat

the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Immigration

Movement of individuals into a population

Emigration

movement of individuals out of a population