Chapter 5 Flashcards
the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and their environment
Ecology
describes living factors in the environment
biotic
describes the nonliving part of the environment
abiotic
a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area
population
all the populations of the species that live in the same habitat and interact with one another
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 only animals
carnivore
an organism that eats both plants 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
