abiotic factor
A nonliving part of an ecosystem. Example: water, sunlight, climate
biosphere
The part of the earth, including air, land, surface rocks, and water, within which life occurs
biotic factor
A living part of an ecosystem. Example: plants, animals, insects
carnivore
an animal that eats only other animals
carrying capacity
The largest population that an area can support
pioneer species
The first species to populate area
commensalism
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
Community
all the different populations that live together in an area
competition
organisms compete for the limited number of biotic and abiotic factors
consumer
an organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms. Example: herbivores, carnivores, scavengers
decomposer
organisms that return nutrients to the soil and breakdown dead organisms "natures recyclers
ecology
The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment
ecosystem
all the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) things that interact in an area
immigration
moving into a population
Energy pyramid
A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another food web
exponential growth
if a population has a constant birth rate through time and is never limited by food or disease. The birth rate alone controls how fast/slow the population grows
food chain
series of events in which one organism eats another
food web
The pattern of overlapping food chains in an ecosystem. A model of feeding relationships
habitat
The environment in which an organism lives
herbivore
an animal that eats only plants. Organism that obtains energy ONLY from producers
host
an organism that provides a source of energy or a suitable environment for a virus or for another organism to live
limiting factor
anything that restricts the number of individuals living in a population
mutualism
A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit
niche
an organisms particular role in a ecosystem, or how it makes its living (what it eats, when it eats, etc.)
primary succession
The series of changes that occur in an area where no soil or organisms exist
omnivore
an animal that eats both plants and animals
parasite
an organism that lives on or in a host and causes harm to the host
parasitism
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed
population
organisms of one species living together in the same place at the same time
emigration
leaving a population
predation
an interaction in which one organism hunts and kills another animal for food
Predator
A carnivore that hunts and kills other animals for food and has adaptations that help it capture the animals it preys upon
prey
an animal that the predator feeds upon
producer
organisms that use sunlight to make food
species
a group of similar organisms whose members can mate with one another and produce fertile offspring
symbiosis
a close relationship between two organisms in which at least one of the organisms benefits
transpiration
the process by which water is lost through a plants leaves
photosynthesis
the process in which light energy becomes chemical energy using carbon dioxide and water
respiration
a process that uses oxygen in organisms to break down simple food molecules to produce energy
secondary secession
the series of changes that occur in an area where the ecosystem has been disturbed, but where soil and organisms still exist