Ecology Study Guide

A Comprehensive collection of vocabulary cards covering ecosystem dynamics, succession, energy transfer, and symbiotic relationships for the May 20th test.

Ecosystem

A system comprising a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Biotic Factors

The living components of an ecosystem that affect the population of another organism.

Abiotic Factors

The nonliving physical and chemical parts of an environment, such as climate and precipitation.

Population

A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area.

Community

An interacting group of various species in a common location.

Biome

A large geographic area determined by specific climate and precipitation patterns.

Climate

The long-term weather patterns that determine the characteristics of a biome.

Precipitation

An abiotic factor referring to rain, snow, or other moisture that helps determine a biome.

Habitat

The specific physical environment or place where an organism lives.

Niche

The specific role or position an organism occupies within its environment; competition occurs if two organisms occupy the same one.

Ecological Succession

The process of change in the species structure of a community over time, such as in a pond or Temperate Deciduous Forest.

Pioneer Species

The first species to colonize an area during ecological succession.

Climax Community

The final, stable stage of succession that varies between different geographical locations.

Food Chain

A linear sequence showing the direction of energy flow from one organism to another using arrows.

Food Web

An interlocking system of food chains that shows multiple energy pathways within an ecosystem.

Autotroph

An organism that produces its own food for energy.

Heterotroph

An organism that must consume other organisms for energy.

Producer

Organisms at the base of the energy pyramid that are more numerous than consumers.

Consumer

Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on producers or other consumers.

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead organic material as part of the energy cycle.

Primary Consumer

An organism that eats producers and occupies the second level of an energy pyramid.

Secondary Consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumer

A top-level consumer that feeds on secondary consumers.

Carnivore

A consumer that primarily eats other animals.

Omnivore

A consumer that eats both plants and animals.

Herbivore

A consumer that eats only plants.

Energy Pyramid

A diagram showing energy loss at each level and the higher abundance of producers compared to consumers.

Limiting Factors

Abiotic or biotic components, such as available resources or predators, that restrict the growth of plant and animal populations.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that an ecosystem can sustain before limiting factors cause growth to level off.

Exponential Growth

Rapid population growth that occurs when resources are abundant and the population has not yet reached its carrying capacity.

Predator

An organism that hunts and kills another organism for food.

Prey

An organism that is hunted and eaten by a predator.

Symbiosis

A close and long-term interaction between different biological species.

Mutualism

A type of symbiosis in which both organisms benefit from the relationship.

Commensalism

A type of symbiosis where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Parasitism

A type of symbiosis where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.