Ecology Key Terms

Abiotic

Referring to the non-living physical and chemical components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, temperature, water, and minerals, that influence the living organisms within it.

Accumulation

Buildup of substances (e.g. toxins, pollutants, nutrients)

Algae

Plant-like, foundation of organisms, produces oxygen and serves as a primary food source in aquatic ecosystems.

Animals

Multicellular organisms that can move, consume organic material, and are vital for ecosystem balance.

Aquifers

Underground layer that stores and transmits groundwater

Atmosphere

Thin layer of gases around Earth, essential for life

Bacteria

Single-celled microorganisms that can be found in various environments, often playing crucial roles in nutrient cycles and decomposition.

Bioaccumulation

Gradual buildup of harmful chemicals in an organism faster than it can remove them

Biodiversity

Vast variety of all living things on Earth

Biomagnification

Where toxins concentrate more as they move up the food chain

Biome

Large distinct region of Earth determined by its climate and living things

Biosphere

Global zone of life on Earth

Biotic

All living or once-living parts of an ecosystem

Boreal forest

World's largest land-based ecosystem; coniferous trees; around the top of Northern Hemisphere below the Arctic.

Carbohydrate

Energy-rich organic compounds made via photosynthesis

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

Essential gas, building block for life; regulates Earth's temperature

Carnivores

Meat-eating organisms

Chlorophyll

Green pigment in plants and algae; uses sunlight to turn CO₂ and water into food

Climate change

Long-term change of Earth's weather patterns and temperature

Commensalism

Interaction between two species where one organism benefits while the other is unaffected

Community

Group of different species coexisting in the same area

Competition

Struggle between organisms for limited resources

Complex

Described ecosystems that have many components. Interconnected, constantly changing

Components

Fundamental living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts of ecosystems

Coniferous forests

Ecosystems dominated by needle-leaved evergreen trees

Conservation

Taking care of the population of things in nature; plants, animals, habitats to prevent destruction and/or extinction

Consumers

Organisms that get their energy through eating other things

Deciduous forests

Ecosystems with trees that lose their leaves every year (usually autumn)

Decomposers

Nature's recyclers (bacteria, fungi, small invertebrates); break down dead animals/plants into nutrients

Deposits

Materials (sand, mud soil) carried by wind, water, or ice, then placed in a new location

Desert

Arid area with extremely low precipitation, typically less than 25 cm annually

Detritivores

Organisms that get energy by consuming dead and decomposing organic matter

Drought

A period of time when an area is getting much less water than it needs

Ecology

Study of how living things interact with each other and their physical environment

Ecosystem

A community where living things (biotic) and non-living factors (abiotic) interact

Endangered species

Group of plants and animals at very high risk of extinction, or disappearing forever

Environment

The surroundings of an organism; the living and non-living things that affect survival, growth, reproduction

Equilibrium

state of balance. all biotic and abiotic factors coexist in a stable way.

Erosion

Natural process of wearing away and moving soil, rock, or sand

Extinction

Complete, permanent disappearance of a species from Earth

Extract

to remove or pull a specific resource or material from its environment

Food chains

Linear sequence showing how nutrients & energy pass from one organism to another

Food web

Network of interconnected food chains showing who eats who in an ecosystem

Fossil fuels

natural energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas) formed from buried remains of ancient plants and animals

Freshwater biomes

Large communities of plants and animals centered around water with very low salt content (less than 1%)

Fungi

Essential non-plant organisms that act as the primary decomposers of the natural world

Genetic diversity

Variety of genes and inherited traits within a species or population

Glucose

Simple sugar that acts as primary energy source for almost all living organisms

Grasslands

Large, open areas of land dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants. Precipitation/moisture is like between desert and forest.

Habitat

Natural area where animals live, grow, and reproduce

Herbivores

Animals that only get energy through eating producers (plants, algae, etc.)

Hydrosphere

Sum of all water on Earth, consisting of all water that exists

Interaction

The ways organisms affect, influence, or depend on each other to survive

Invasive species

Non-native organism that causes harm in a new environment

Lithosphere

Solid, rocky outer layer of the Earth

Marine biomes

Very large community of living things that exist in saltwater environments

Mimicry

Survival strategy where a species evolves to resemble another species for benefit, such as protection against predators

Minerals

Naturally occurring solid materials found in the earth, soil, and water

Mutualism

Interaction between two species where both of them benefit

Nutrients

Chemical substances and elements that living organisms need to grow and survive

Offspring

Young creation of organisms produced by living organisms. As in the “babies”

Omnivores

Animals that eat both plants and other animals

Organisms

Any living thing

Overexploitation

Harvesting/extracting natural resources faster than they can replenish

Parasitism

Relationship between two species where one benefits while the other is harmed

Pesticides

Any substance used to kill, repel, or control unwanted organisms (pests), that may be considered inconvenient or annoying

Photosynthesis

Process by which plants and algae use sunlight, water, and CO₂ to make energy

Plants

Example of primary producers in an ecosystem; make their own food via photosynthesis

Pollinators

Any animal that helps plants reproduce through moving pollen along plants

Pollution

Harmful substances introduced to an environment, too much of the substances to be naturally regulated and broken down

Population

Group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time

Predation

Interaction where one organism consumes another organism

Predators

An animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals

Predict

Make an informed forecast about what will happen in the future

Prey

Organism that is hunted, killed, and eaten by another organism

Primary

Base-level of ecosystem's energy consumption (e.g. animal that eats a plant)

Producers

Organisms that make their own food, usually eaten by primary consumers

Protein

Complex large molecule essential for life

Reproduce

Process by which organisms create new individual organisms, or offspring

Reservoir

Storage area where water, nutrients, or carbon are collected

Resources

Anything an organism needs for survival, growth, and reproduction

Respiration

Process where all living organisms break down food for energy

Secondary

Trophic level of an animal that eats animals that ate producers (they eat primary consumers)

Species

Group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring

Stewardship

Taking proactive action to help take care of the environment. (fundraising, etc.)

Survival

Ability to stay alive, grow, and continue existing

Sustainability

Using natural resources in a way that allows them to renew

Symbiosis

Close, long-term relationship between two or more living species. It can be good, bad, neutral, etc.

Tertiary

Generally top of food chain; Usually eats secondary consumers

Transpiration

Evaporation of water from plant leaves. The water enters the atmosphere through pores stomata, found on the leaves.

Tropical rainforest

Hot, humid, very wet biome near the Earth's equator. High annual rainfall. Most diverse land ecosystems

Tundra

Vast, treeless, extremely cold biome; short growing season, little rain

Vitamins

Tiny organic molecules containing carbon that living things need to function

Water vapour

Invisible, gaseous form of water