Chapter 1 Flashcards
the study of the interaction of living organisms with one another and with their environment
ecology
describes living factors in the environment
biotic
describes the nonliving part of the environment, including water, rocks, light, and temperature
abiotic
a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area
population
all the populations of species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other
community
a community of organisms and their abiotic environment
ecosystem
the part of Earth where life exists
biosphere
an organism that eats only plants
herbivore
an organism that eats animals
carnivore
an organism that eats both plats and animals
omnivore
the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms
food chain
a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem
food web
a triangular diagram that shows an ecosystem’s loss of energy, which results as energy passes through the ecosystem’s food chain
energy pyramid
the largest population that an environment can support at any given time
carrying capacity
an organism that is killed and eaten by another organism
prey
an organism that eats all or part of another organism
predator
a relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other
symbiosis
a relationship between two species in which both species benefit
mutualism
a relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
coomensalism
a relationship between two species in which one species, the parasite, benefits from the other species, the host, which is harmed
parastiism
the evolution of two species that is due to mutual influence, often in a way that makes the relationship more beneficial to both species
coevolution
