Chapter 13 biology
energy pyramid
A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web
Biome
A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
Community
A group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other
food chain
A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
keystone species
A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem
Ecosystem
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Carnivore
A consumer that eats only animals.
Herbivore
A consumer that eats only plants.
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals
Decomposer
An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms
Producer
An organism that can make its own food.
Heterotroph
An organism that cannot make its own food.
Consumer
An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms
trophic level
Each step in a food chain or food web
Abiotic
Non-living
Autotrophs
Organisms that make their own food
nitrogen fixation
Process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia
Ecology
Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
Generalist
Species that does not rely on a single source of prey
specialist
consumer that eats only one type of organism
hydrologic cycle
the movement of water through the biosphere
Biotic
living
Detritivore
organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter
Chemosynthesis
process in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates
biogeochemical cycle
process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another
Biodiversity
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Biomass
total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level