Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
the study of organisms and their interactions with the environment
Biosphere
life supporting region of the Earth; all land, water, and air in which organisms live
Biotic factors
all of the living parts of an ecosystem
Abiotic factors
all of the nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Organism
an individual member of a species within a population
Population
all of the organisms in an ecosystem that belong to the same species
Community
all of the populations in an ecosystem
Ecosystem
all of the organisms living in an area and the nonliving features of their environment
Habitat
the place in which an organism lives
Niche
how an organism survives, how it obtains food and shelter, how it finds a mate and cares for its offspring, and how it avoids danger
carrying capacity
the largest number of individuals of one species that an ecosystem can support over time.
limiting factors
anything that restricts the number of individuals in a population
Predator
consumers that capture and eat other consumers
Prey
the organism that is captured and consumed by the predator
Producers/Autotrophs
organisms such as plants and algae, which through the process of photosynthesis create energy-rich food
Consumers/Heterotrophs
an organism that cannot make its own food and feeds on other organisms
Herbivore
a consumer that only eats plants
Carnivore
a consumer that feeds only on other animals
Omnivore
a consumer that feeds on plants and animals
Scavengers
a consumer that eats organisms that have already died
Decomposers
a consumer that breaks down the complex compounds of dead and decaying plants and animals into simpler molecules that can be more easily absorbed
Food chain
a diagram that shows the flow of energy and matter between animals in a community
Food web
shows all the possible feeding relationships at each trophic level in a community
Trophic level
a feeding step in a food chain, or ecological energy pyramid
Ecological energy pyramid
shows how energy flows through an ecosystem
Symbiosis
a relationship of dependence or mutual benefit between organisms of the same ecosystem
Mutualism
a relationship where both organisms benefit
Commensalism
a relationship where one organism benefits and the other organism is not affected
Parasitism
a relationship where one organism benefits and the other organism is harmed
Ecological Succession
Natural, gradual changes in the types of species that live in an area; can be primary or secondary
Primary Succession
begins in an area where NO SOIL is present. The development of an ecosystem in an area that has never had a community living within it
Secondary Succession
the process of restabilization that follows a disturbance in an area where life has formed an ecosystem. SOIL IS ALREADY PRESENT
