Enviorment Vocab Flashcards
Natural selection
The process by which organisms with certain traits survive and reproduce at a higher rate than organisms without these traits
Adaptation
A characteristic that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment
Biotic factors
Living organisms of the environment, such as animals and plants
Carrying capacity
The largest population that a given environment can support over a long period of time
Prey
Animals that are hunted and eaten by other animals
Predator
An animal that eats other animals
Symbiosis
A close, long-term association between two or more species
Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit
Communalism
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other one is unaffected
Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship association in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed
Biodiversity
Variety of given things in a given area
Host
And parasitism the organism that is harmed is called the host
Food web
The feeding relationships by which energy and nutrients are transferred from one species to another
Overpopulation
The presence of too many individuals in an area for the available resources
Producer
Organisms that can make their own food from sunlight or chemical energy from deep-sea vents
Primary consumer
Animals that eat plants are called primary consumers there also called herbivores
Secondary consumer
Animals that eat primary consumers(herbivores)
Tertiary consumer
Eat secondary consumers
Ecosystem
A community of organisms and their nonliving environment
Abiotic factors
Nonliving parts of the environment such as rocks, water, soil, air, and sunlight
Limiting factors
Any resources that limit the size of a population
Competition
When two or more individuals or populations try to use the same limited resource
Niche
The role of population plays in its community
Biome
A large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities
Runoff
Precipitation that runs over the land and into rivers and streams
Ecology
The study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment
Community
All the population of species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other
Decomposer
Organism that gets energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms or in animal wastes and consuming or absorbing nutrients
Estuary
An area where freshwater mixes with saltwater from the ocean
Population
Group of individuals of the same species that live together in the same area at the same time
