Ecology vocbaluary

Question 1

Abiotic Factors

Answer 1

A non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment

Question 2

Autotrophs

Answer 2

An organism that serves as a primary producer in a food chain.

Question 3

Biotic Factors

Answer 3

Living things within an ecosystem.

Question 4

Bioaccumulation

Answer 4

An increase in the concentration of a chemical in a biological organism over time, compared to the chemical’s concentration in the environment.

Question 5

carbon sink

Answer 5

Anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases

Question 6

carnivore

Answer 6

An animal that feeds on other animals.

Question 7

commensalism

Answer 7

An association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.

Question 8

competition

Answer 8

An interaction between organisms or species in which both require a resource that is in limited supply.

Question 9

consumer

Answer 9

A person who purchases goods and services for personal use.

Question 10

decompser

Answer 10

An organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.

Question 11

ecosystem

Answer 11

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Question 12

energy pyramid

Answer 12

A model that shows the flow of energy from one trophic, or feeding, level to the next in an ecosystem.

Question 13

food chain

Answer 13

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another

Question 14

food web

Answer 14

Consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem.

Question 15

habitat

Answer 15

The natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or other organism.

Question 16

herbivore

Answer 16

Those animals that feed on plants, leaves, fruits & other plant-based food for nutrition.

Question 17

heterotrophs

Answer 17

A heterotroph is an organism that cannot produce its own food.

Question 18

leaching

Answer 18

A process of extracting a substance from a solid material that is dissolved in a liquid.

Question 19

limiting factor

Answer 19

Anything that constrains a population’s size and slows or stops it from growing.

Question 20

mutalism

Answer 20

Association between organisms of two different species in which each benefits.

Question 21

niche

Answer 21

A place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted.

Question 22

ocean acidifaction

Answer 22

A reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

Question 23

ominovore

Question 24

parasitism

Question 25

phytoplankton

Answer 25

Phytoplankton are the autotrophic components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems.

Question 26

pioneer species

Answer 26

Species that first colonize new habitats created by disturbance.

Question 27

Population

Answer 27

The whole number of inhabitants occupying an area (such as a country or the world) and continually being modified by increases (births and immigrations) and losses (deaths and emigrations).

Question 28

predation

Answer 28

Wolves hunting moose, owls hunting mice, or shrews hunting worms and insects.

Question 29

predator

Answer 29

Organisms that hunt and kill other organisms for food.

Question 30

prey

Answer 30

Animals that are killed and eaten by other animals.

Question 31

primary succession

Answer 31

Happens when a new patch of land is created or exposed for the first time.

Question 32

producer

Answer 32

Organisms that make their own food.

Question 33

secondary sucession

Answer 33

Happens when a climax community or intermediate community is impacted by a disturbance.

Question 34

species overshoot

Answer 34

Once a population exceeds carrying capacity.

Question 35

sustainbility

Answer 35

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.