Ecology Flashcards
Biotic
relating to or resulting from living things, especially in their ecological relations
Abiotic
physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms
Population
a group of individuals of the same species living and interbreeding within a given area
Community
a group of species that are commonly found together
Ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Biosphere
the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth occupied by living organisms
Herbivore
an animal that feeds on plants
Carnivore
an animal that feeds on flesh
Omnivore
an animal or person that eats food of both plant and animal origin
Food chain
a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
Food web
a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains
Energy pyramid
a graphical representation of the energy found within the trophic levels of an ecosystem
Carrying capacity
the number or quantity of people or things that can be conveyed or held by a vehicle or container
Prey
an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food
Predator
an animal that naturally preys on others
Mutualism
the doctrine that mutual dependence is necessary to social well-being
Commensalism
an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm
Parasitism
the practice of living as a parasite in or on another organism
Producers
a person, company, or country that makes, grows, or supplies goods or commodities for sale
Decomposers
an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material
Desert
any large, extremely dry area of land with sparse vegetation
Tundra
a vast, flat, treeless Arctic region of Europe, Asia, and North America in which the subsoil is permanently frozen
Temperate deciduous forest
a biome that has many deciduous trees which drop their leaves in the fall
Tropical rainforest
a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees forming a continuous canopy
Coniferous forest
contains evergreen trees that bear cones
Savanna
a grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees
Temperate grassland
area in which the vegetation is dominated by a nearly continuous cover of grasses
