Introduction to Ecosystems

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to ecosystems, organism interactions, and ecological principles.

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Habitat

The natural home or environment of an organism.

Environment

The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

Competition

The interaction between organisms or species in which both require the same limited resource.

Predation

The preying of one animal on others.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Resource Partitioning

Allowing different species to use the same shared resources in different ways to reduce competition.

Competition Exclusion Principle

The principle stating that two species fighting for the same limited resource cannot coexist.

Herbivores

Organisms that primarily eat plants.

True Predators

Carnivorous animals that hunt and eat other animals as their primary food source.

Parasites

Organisms that live on or in a host organism and draw energy from it, often without killing it.

Parasitoids

Organisms that lay eggs inside a host, and whose larvae consume the host from the inside.

Symbiosis

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

Ecological Niche

The position of a species within an ecosystem, including its interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.

Morphological Partitioning

Evolution of physical traits in species to access different resources.