(Ecology 01) Ecology definitions Flashcards
Ecology
The study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.
Ecosystem
A geographic area where living things interact with their environment and work together to sustain one another.
Food chain
A sequence of organisms that feed on each other, starting with plants (or producers).
Producer
Plants that can make food energy through photosynthesis.
Consumer
Animals and other living things that feed on producers and other consumers.
Herbivore
An animal that eats plants.
Ex. Goat
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals.
Ex. Wolf
Omnivore
An animal that eats both animals and plants.
Ex. Bears
Decomposer
Organism that breaks down detritus (waste from plants and animals) to obtain nutrients and release nutrients into soil and water.
Ex. Fungi, worms, termites, etc.
Abiotic
Non-living factors such as sunlight, temperature, weather patterns, etc.
Biotic
Living organisms; factors caused by the presence of other living things.
Habitat
A place where species live.
Species
A group of similar organisms.
Community
The collection of all population of all species in an ecosystem or habitat.
Population
All members of the same species living in the same ecosystem.
Ecotone
An ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate.
Ex. Mangrove forests (between terrestrial and marine ecosystems).
Terrestrial
Land; something related to earth.
Marine
Water; something related to water.
Food web
a complex network of food chains in one ecosystem.
Biology
The study of all living things.
Biodiversity
Different kinds of life in one area; the variety within those species.
Pests
Organisms that cause problems to humans. They attack crops, food, livestock, etc,
Trophic Pyramid
The basic structure of interaction in all biological communities.
bioaccumulation
A process of accumulation of chemicals in an organism.
biomagnification
the concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of it ingesting other plants or animals.
Biomes
Large areas with distinct climate and vegetation.
Autotroph
It makes its own food -> a producer/plan.
Heterotroph
They need to feed off of other organisms -> consumers.
Ecological niche
The role an organism performs in an ecosystem; includes what it feeds on, what eats it and how it behaves.
Parasitism
The relationship between different species Where one benefits from the other organism by causing harm to it.
This could be internal or external.
Ex. Tapeworms, fleas, etc.
Commensalism
A relationship where one organism benefits from the other organism without benefiting or harming it.
Mutualism
A relationship where both organisms benefit from each other.
Symbiotic relationships
The relationship between two or more different biological species.
