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
understanding why certain populations are healthier than others and then using that information to find solutions to make people as healthy as possible
Community
involves local knowledge, collective action & empowerment
Ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Biosphere
the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth (or analogous parts of other planets) 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 food chain is a linear network of links in a food web starting from producer organisms and ending at an apex predator species, detritivores, or decomposer species
Food web
A food web is the natural interconnection of food chains and a graphical representation of what-eats-what in an ecological community.
Energy pyrmind
An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation designed to show the biomass or bioproductivity at each trophic level in a given 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
an area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year.
Tundra
a cold and treeless plain where harsh conditions make it hard for plants and animals alike to survive
Temperate deciduous forest
a biome that is always changing
Tropical rainforest
mainly located between the latitudes of 23.5°N (the Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5°S (the Tropic of Capricorn)
Coniferous forest
vegetation composed primarily of cone-bearing needle-leaved or scale-leaved evergreen trees, found in areas that have long winters and moderate to high annual precipitation
Savanna
a grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few trees.
Temperate grassland
areas of open grassy plains that are sparsely populated with trees
