science ecology word list Flashcards
What is abiotic?
The non-living components of an ecosystem, e.g. air, water, soil.
What is allelopathy?
A relationship where one organism produces chemicals that influence the growth, survival and reproduction of other organisms.
What does behavioural adaptation refer to?
An action that an organism carries out that enables it to better survive in its environment, e.g. basking in the sun.
What is biodiversity?
The variety of all life forms on Earth.
What is biological control?
The reduction of a pest population by the introduction of another organism.
What is biomass?
The total mass of all organisms in a given population.
What is biotic?
The living components of an ecosystem, e.g. plants, animals and fungi.
What is the biosphere?
The sum of all the ecosystems on Earth.
What is a carnivore?
An animal whose diet consists primarily of other animals.
What is cloning?
The process of producing cells or organisms that are genetically identical to the parent.
What is commensalism?
A relationship in which one species benefits and the other is not affected.
What is a community?
A group of populations living and interacting with each other in an area.
What is a consumer?
An organism that consumes food created by other organisms.
What is a decomposer?
Organisms that obtain energy by breaking down dead or decaying organisms.
What is ecology?
The scientific study of the interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment.
What is an ecosystem?
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
What is an environment?
The surroundings in which an organism lives.
What is feral?
An organism or species which was once domesticated that is now surviving in the wild.
What is a habitat?
The natural home or environment of an organism.
What is a herbivore?
An animal whose diet consists primarily of plant matter.
What is an introduced species?
A non-indigenous species which is living outside its native area.
What is mutualism?
A relationship in which both species benefit.
What is a niche?
All of a species’ interactions with the biotic and abiotic factors of its environment.
What is an omnivore?
An animal whose diet regularly consists of both animal and plant matter.
What is parasitism?
A relationship that benefits one species (parasite) and harms the other (host).
What is photosynthesis?
A series of chemical reactions involving the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.
What does physiological adaptation mean?
A process occurring within an organism that enables it to better survive in its environment, e.g. sweating.
What is a population?
A group of organisms of the same species who live in the same area at the same time.
What is a predator?
An organism that kills another organism for food.
What is prey?
An organism that is attacked and eaten by a predator.
What is a producer?
An organism that creates its own food from photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
What is respiration?
A series of chemical reactions involving the conversion of glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water and energy.
What is selection pressure?
External factors which affect an organism’s ability to survive in a given environment.
What is a species?
A distinct group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring.
What is structural adaptation?
A physical feature of an organism that enable it to better survive in its environment, e.g. fur or feathers.
What is symbiosis?
Any close and prolonged interaction between individuals of two different species.
