Honors Biology - Ecology Vocab

biosphere

the part of earth where life exists, including land, water, and air or atmosphere

species

a group of similar organisms that can breed with one another

populations

a group of individuals of the same species living in the same defined area

community

a group of different populations (multiple species) that live together and interact in a defined area

ecosystem

a unit containing all the living organisms (community) in an area, together with their physical, non-living environment (abiotic factors), interacting together

biome

a large geographical region characterized by a specific climate and dominant plant and animal communities

ecology

the scientific study of the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

biotic factor

any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact, such as plants, animals, or bacteria

abiotic factors

any non-living physical or chemical factor that shapes an ecosystem, such as sunlight, water, temperature, or soil type

autotroph

an organism that can produce its own food, usually using energy from sunlight or chemicals, also known as a producer

primary producer

the first producer of energy-rich organic compounds that are later used by other organisms

photosynthesis

the process used by producers (like plants and algae) to convert light energy into chemical energy

heterotroph

an organism that cannot produce its own food, instead consuming other organisms to obtain energy and nutrients

consumer

an organism that feeds on other organisms to get energy

carnivore

a consumer that obtains energy by eating only other animals

herbivore

a consumer that obtains energy by eating only plants

omnivore

a consumer that eats both plant and animal matter

scavanger

an animal that feeds on the remains of dead animals that have been killed by other predators or died of natural causes

detrivore

an organism that feeds on detritus, which is dead organic matter and waste

decomposers

organisms that break down dead organic matter and waste, returning essential nutrients to the environment

food chain

a linear sequence that shows how energy flows in an ecosystem through a series of feeding steps, from producers to various consumers

phytoplankton

microscopic, photosynthetic organisms that are the primary producers at the base of most aquatic food chains

food web

a complex network of interactions formed by the feeding relationships among all the various organisms in an ecosystem, linking multiple food chains together

zooplankton

tiny aquatic animals that feed on phytoplankton and are primary consumers in aquatic food webs

trophic level

each step in a food chain or food web

ecological pyramid

a diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy, biomass, or number of organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem

biomass

the total amount of living tissue or organic matter within a given trophic level

10% rule

on average, only about 10% of the energy available within one trophic level is transferred to the next trophic level; the remaining 90% is lost as heat or used form metabolic processes

biochemical cycle

a pathway by which a chemical substance, such as carbon or nitrogen, moves through both the living (bio) and nonliving (geo) components of earth

condensation

the process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water; a stage in the water cycle

dentrification

the process by which bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas, which is then released back into the atmosphere

dentrivore

an organism that feeds in dentrius (nonliving organic matter) often breaking it into smaller pieces

evaporation

the process by which water changes from a liquid to an atmospheric gas

excretion

the process of eliminating waste products from the body

nitrogen fixation

the process by which bacteria convert nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into ammonia

nutrient

a chemical substance that an organism needs to sustain life

transpiration

the process by which water evaporates from the leaves of plants into the atmosphere