Ecology Vocab Flashcards
Ecology
A field of science that has to do with the relationships between species
Biotic factors
All of the living things inside of an ecosystem
Abiotic factors
All of the non living things inside of an ecosystem
Water cycle
The process in which water goes evaporation to condensation to precipitation
Carbon cycle
The process in where carbon is let out into the atmosphere and then absorbed by carbon sinks
Nitrogen cycle
The process in where nitrogen is fixed to both bacteria and lightning and stays in the ground
Biome
Groups of similar ecosystems
Producer
An organism that produces their own food and doesn’t eat other organisms
Consumer
An organism that can’t make their instead they eat other organisms
Decomposer
An organism that decomposes dead organic material
Predator
An animal that eats other animals
Prey
An animal that eats plants and gets hunted by other animals
Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship where both animals benefit
Commensalism
A symbiotic relationship where one benefits and no one is harmed
Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship where one benefits and the other is harmed
Limiting factors
Factors that limit the population of a species from overpopulating
Carrying capacity
The capacity an ecosystem can hold of a certain species that is healthy
Succession
The process in which a wasteland transforms from pioneering species to a climax community
Pioneering species
The first species to be introduced to the location
Energy pyramid
The levels of energy that goes from producer all the way up to consumers.
Food chain
One set of feeding relationships
Food web
Multiple sets of feeding relationships
Levels of organization
Species-one organism
Population-all of the same organisms in an area
Community-all of the populations in an area
Ecosystem-all of the biotic and abiotic things in an area
Biome-all of the similar populations
Biosphere-all of the biomes/Earth
