ecology
the study of how living things interact with each other in their environment
species
a group of organisms that are similar and reproduce to produce fertile offspring
habitat
the place where an organism lives and that provides the things it needs
biotic factor
a living part of an ecosystem
abiotic factor
a nonliving part of an ecosytem
organism
a living thing
population
all the members of one species in a particular area
community
all the different populations that live together in an area
ecosystem
all the living and nonliving things that interact in an area
limiting factors
an environmental factor that prevents a population from increasing
carrying capacity
the largest population that an area can spot
natural selection
process by which individuals that are better adapted to the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce than others
adaptation
the behaviors and physical characteristics of species that allow them to live successfully in their environments
niche
an organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or how it makes its living
competition
the struggle between organisms for the limited resources in a habitat
predation
an interaction in which one organism kills and eats another
predator
the organism that does the killing in predation
prey
an organism that is killed in predation
symbiotic relationship
a close relationship between species that benefits at least one of the species
parasite
the organism that benefits by living in or on a host in a parasitism
host
the organism that the a parasite lives in or on in parasitism
mutualism
a relationship between two species in which both species benefit
commensalism
A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
parasitism
a relationship in which one organism lives on or inside another and harms it
Watershed
An area of land that drains to a body of water.
Biome
A group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms.
Wetland
A type of biome characterized by land area that is covered with a shallow layer of water during some or all of the year.
producer
Organism that can make its own food from the sun (photosynthesis)
consumer
An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms
carnivore
A consumer that eats only animals.
omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals
decomposer
An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms
food web
A diagram of overlapping food chains in an ecosystem
food chain
A series of events in which one organism obtains energy by eating another.
energy pyramid
A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web. Producers are at the bottom and have the most energy available.
Natural Selection
Process by which individuals that are better suited (adapted) to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest
Immigration
Moving into a population
Emigration
Leaving a population