Ecology 6 Vocab

ecology

the study of living things and their environments

environment

everything that surrounds a living thing

interact

to act upon eachother

community

all populations that live in a certain place

ecosystem

living and nonliving things in an environment, together with their interactions

population

group of the same kind of organism living in a certain place

habitat

place where an organism lives

niche

organism's role, or job, in its habitat

carrying capacity

largest amount of a population that can be supported by an area

limiting factors

conditions in the environment that put limits on where an organism can live

range

area where a type of animal or plant population is found

cycle

something that happens over and over in the same way

consumer

organisms that obtain food by eating other organisms

decomposer

organism that breaks down the wastes or remains of other organisms

producer

organism that makes its own food

scavenger

animal that eats only dead organisms

energy pyramid

way of showing how energy moves through a food chain

food chain

a chain of organisms in which each link feeds on the one ahead and is eaten by the one behind

food web

way of showing how food chains are related

climax community

last community in a succession

succession

gradual change in organisms that occurs when the environment changes

biome

large region of the earth with particular plant and animal communities

climate

overall weather in an area over a long period of time

conservation

wise use of natural resources

natural resource

materials found in nature that are used by living things

nonrenewable resource

materials found in nature that CANNOT be renewed or replaced

renewable resource

natural resouces that CAN be renewed or replaced

endangered species

kinds of living things that are in danger of dying out

pollution

release of harmful materials into the environment

biosphere

thin zone of the earth that supports all life

predator

animal that hunts and eats other animals

prey

animal hunted or caught for food

organism

any living thing

adaptation

trait of a living thing that helps it live in its environment

environment

Everything that surrounds a living thing

biotic

living

abiotic

non-living