Ecology Vocabulary

Question 1

the study of how organisms interact with each other and with their environment

Answer 1

Ecology

Question 2

all the organisms in an environment

Answer 2

Biotic Factors

Question 3

all the non-living things in an environment

Answer 3

Abiotic Factors

Question 4

individuals that possesses all the characteristics of life.

Answer 4

Organism

Question 5

group of organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

Answer 5

Species

Question 6

group of individuals of the same species living in the same place at the same time

Answer 6

population

Question 7

group of different populations living together in an area

Answer 7

Community

Question 8

all of the organisms in an area (biotic factors) and the nonliving components
(abiotic factors)

Answer 8

Ecosystem

Question 9

group of ecosystems that have the same climate and dominant communities

Answer 9

Biome

Question 10

contains all biomes and aquatic communities

Answer 10

biosphere

Question 11

organisms that use the sun’s energy to produce their own food

Answer 11

autotrophs

Question 12

organisms that must use another organism for food

Answer 12

heterotrophs

Question 13

consumes only plants (ex-squirrels, rabbits, deer, manatee)

Answer 13

herbivore

Question 14

consumes only meat (ex-lion, wolf, grizzly bear,)

Answer 14

carnivore

Question 15

consumes plants and animals (ex-raccoon, human, black bear, opossum, fox)

Answer 15

omnivore

Question 16

feeds on dead matter (ex-worms, crabs, buzzard)

Answer 16

detrivore

Question 17

breakdown dead organisms and return nutrients to the soil (ex-fungus and bacteria)

Answer 17

decomposer

Question 18

consumes dead animals ( ex-buzzard, vulture, hyena)

Answer 18

scavenger

Question 19

series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating or being eaten

Answer 19

food chain

Question 20

complex network of several food chains within an ecosystem.

Answer 20

food web

Question 21

shows the steps in a food chain or web.

Answer 21

trophic level

Question 22

herbivores

Answer 22

primary consumers

Question 23

omnivores or carnivores that feed on other consumers

Answer 23

Secondary/tertiary consumers

Question 24

diagram that shows there relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a food chain or food web

Answer 24

Ecological Pyramid

Question 25

depicts the amount of energy at each trophic level

Answer 25

Energy pyramid

Question 26

represents the amount of food available for each trophic level in an ecosystem.

Answer 26

Biomass pyramid

Question 27

amount of living tissue within atrophic level.

Answer 27

Biomass

Question 28

based on the # of individuals at each trophic level.

The number of individuals decreases as you go up the pyramid.

Answer 28

Number Pyramid