Soil Microbiology Flashcards
Ecosystem
The sum of all organisms & abiotic factors in a particular environment
Habitat
Portion of an ecosystem where a community could reside
Population
Group of microorganisms of same species residing in same place at same time
Community
A group of populations
Species richness
The total number of different species present
Species abundance
The proportion of each species in an ecosystem
Guild
Metabolically related microbial populations
Niche
Habitat shared by a guild
Prime niche
Niche in which the organism is most successful
Microenvironment
The immediate environmental surroundings of a microbial cell or group of cells
* Physiochemical conditions are subject to rapid change
* Resources in natural environments are highly variable
Parasitism
one member in the relationship is harmed and the other benefits
Mutualism
both species benefit
Commensalism
one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped
Biogeochemical cycle
Transformation of key elements by biological and chemical agents
Soil
Loose outer material of Earth’s surface