Ecology by Cheltenham
ecosystem
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
symbiosis
A close relationship between two species that benefits at least one of the species.
food web
A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains
biome
A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
population
A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
community
A group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other
Keystone Species
A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem
Weather
Abiotic Factor: Condition of earths atmosphere at a particular time and place
Climate
Abiotic Factor: Overall weather in an area over a long period of time
biosphere
All the parts of the planet that are inhabited by living things; sum of all Earth's ecosystems
limiting factor
Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms
decomposers
Fungi and bacteria that break complex organic material into smaller molecules
exponential growth
Growth of a population in an ideal, unlimited environment, represented by a J-shaped curve when population size is plotted over time.
carrying capacity
Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support
phytoplankton
Microscopic, free-floating, autotrophic organisms that function as producers in aquatic ecosystems
logistic growth
Population growth that is controlled by limited resources
Trophic
a feeding level
limiting nutrient
a nutrient in scarce supply
parasitism
a relationship in which an organism feeds on a host
mutualism
a relationship in which both organisms benefit
commensalism
a relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
niche
a role/job
food chain
a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
primary consumer
also known as a herbivore, found on second trophic level
Omnivore
an organism that eats both plants and animals
Autotroph
an organism that makes its own food (also known as a producer)
Heterotroph
an organism that must eat others for food (also known as a consumer)
interspecific competition
competition between members of different species
intraspecific competition
competition between members of the same species
tertiary consumer
feeds upon secondary consumers
secondary consumer
found on the third trophic level
zooplankton
microscopic animals that swim or drift near the surface of aquatic environments
obligate mutualism
mutualism in which at least one species can't survive without its partner
facultative mutualism
mutualism in which both species can survive alone
Rule of 10%
only about 10 percent of the energy available within one trophic level is transferred to organisms at the next trophic level
herbivory
plant eaters feeding on plants
eutrophication
process that results from the addition of nutrients into a water system
Energy Pyramid
show the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level of a food chain or food web
Biomass
the total amount of living tissue within a trophic level
