Unit 5.All

Biodiversity

Variation within populations or variation of species in an ecosystem

Acid Rain

When gases from various exhausts mix with water in the air

CFCs

Chemical that breaks down the ozone layer

Eutrophication

Nutrients added to the water results in algal blooms and a reduction in oxygen

Bioaccumulation

Toxins build up as you go up in trophic level

Invasive Species

Species that are introduced to an ecosystem and cause it harm

Overharvesting

Taking too many individuals of a population

Poaching

Illegal removal of organisms from an ecosystem

Organism

One, individual living thing

Population

A group of individuals of the same species

Community

A group of species that interact

Symbiosis

An interaction between organisms or species

Mutualism

An interaction in which both organisms benefit

Commensalism

An interaction in which one organism benefits and the other is not harmed

Parasitism

An interaction in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed

Predation

When one organism eats another

Carrying Capacity

The number of individuals of a certain species the ecosystem can hold

Exponential Growth

Growth without limits

Logistic Growth

Growth when limits exist

Autotroph

Organism that makes its own food

Heterotroph

Organism that gets energy by eating other organism

Herbivore

Eats autotrophs

Carnivore

Eats animals

Omnivore

Eats both autotrophs and heterotrophs

Decomposer

Breaks down dead organisms

Producer

Another word for autotroph

Consumer

Another word for heterotroph

Trophic Level

A transfer of energy; a step in a food chain

Carbon Cycle

Cycling of carbon between the atmosphere, biosphere, and soil

Carbon Sink

Something that can store a large amount of carbon

Nitrogen Cycle

Cycling of nitrogen between the atmosphere, biosphere, and soil

Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria

Take nitrogen out of the atmosphere and convert it into a form plants can use