Download Vocabulary Definitions

FOSS Populations and Ecosystems, Second Edition
Glossary
abiotic nonliving (SRB, IG)
aerobic cellular respiration a process by which organisms convert sugar into usable energy (SRB, IG)
aquatic of the water (SRB, IG)
atmosphere the thin layer of gases around Earth that extends about 600 kilometers above the surface (SRB)
atom a particle that is the basic building block of matter (SRB)
autotroph an organism that makes its own food (SRB, IG)
bioaccumulation the process by which toxin accumulates in bodies of predators (SRB, IG)
biodiversity the variety of life (SRB, IG)
biodiversity index a measure of biodiversity for an area by dividing the total number of species by the total
number of individuals (SRB, IG)
biomass the mass of matter produced by organisms in an ecosystem (SRB, IG)
biome collection of ecosystems that have similar environments and organisms (SRB, IG)
biosphere the sum total of all living organisms (SRB)
biotic consisting of living organisms and products of organisms (SRB, IG)
calorie a unit used to measure heat energy (SRB, IG)
carbohydrate food in the form of sugar or starch (SRB, IG)
carnivore an organism that eats other animals (SRB, IG)
carrying capacity the maximum size of a population that a given environment can support (SRB)
chlorophyll a green pigment in chloroplasts that captures light energy to make sugars during photosynthesis
(SRB)
clutch a cluster of eggs (SRB, IG)
community all the interacting populations in a specified area (SRB, IG)
consumer an organism that eats other organisms (SRB)
control an experimental test used to compare results with tests where a variable was changed (SRB, IG)
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controlled experiment an experiment in which the observer is able to standardize all but one variable to
measure results (SRB, IG)
cultural in the context of ecosystem services, benefits of an ecosystem such as recreation and tourism (SRB,
IG)
decomposer an organism that consumes parts of dead organisms and converts all the biomass into simple
chemicals (SRB, IG)
dehydration when the body doesn’t have enough water to function normally (SRB)
detritivore an organism that eats detritus, breaking the organic material into smaller parts (SRB, IG)
detritus dead organic material (SRB, IG)
ecosystem a system of interacting organisms and nonliving factors in a specified area (SRB, IG)
ecosystem engineer a keystone species that changes the ecosystem it inhabits (SRB)
ecosystem service a benefit that humans obtain from the environment (SRB, IG)
energy the capacity to do work. Most energy used by organisms comes from the Sun. (SRB, IG)
environment the surroundings of an organism, including the living and nonliving factors (SRB)
exoskeleton a tough, outer covering that insects and other organisms have for protection (SRB)
extinct no longer existing(SRB)
extinction when the last of a species population dies out and it can no longer reproduce (SRB)
first-level consumer organisms that eat producers; also called primary consumers (IG)
food a substance that provides energy and nutrients for organisms (SRB, IG)
food chain a sequence of organisms that eat one another in an ecosystem (SRB, IG)
food web all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem (SRB, IG)
habitat a place where an organism lives that supports its requirements for life (SRB, IG)
herbivore an organism that eats only plants (SRB, IG)
heterotroph an organism that cannot make its own food and must eat other organisms (SRB, IG)
hydrosphere all the water on Earth including the ocean, lakes, rivers, streams, aquifers, polar icecaps, glaciers,
snowpacks, permafrost, and condensation (SRB)
incomplete metamorphosis the process of gradual maturing of an insect through stages (egg, nymphal stages
or instars, adult) (SRB)
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individual a single organism (SRB, IG)
inference an explanation or assumption that people make based on their knowledge, experiences, or opinions
(SRB, IG)
instar an immature nymphal stage of an insect as it grows into an adult form (SRB, IG)
interdependent dependent on each other (SRB, IG)
introduced species a species that is brought to a place by humans and becomes part of the local ecosystem
(SRB, IG)
invasive species an introduced species that has a negative impact on an ecosystem (SRB, IG)
keystone species a species that is critical for the overall health of an ecosystem (SRB)
kilocalorie a unit equal to 1,000 calories (SRB, IG)
limiting factor any biotic or abiotic component of the ecosystem that controls the size of a population (SRB,
IG)
lithosphere the rocky, mineral part of Earth (SRB)
mass the amount of matter in something (SRB, IG)
migrate to move from one area to another according to seasonal changes (SRB, IG)
migratory the action that animals take (such as birds) to move from one place to another due to seasonal
changes (IG)
molecule a particle made of two or more smaller particles held together by chemical bonds (SRB)
molting the process of shedding an exoskeleton in order to grow (SRB, IG)
native species a kind of organism that has been part of an ecosystem for a long time (SRB, IG)
nymph an immature bug (SRB, IG)
observation noticing the properties of an object or event with one or more of the five senses (sight, hearing,
touch, smell, and taste) (SRB, IG)
observational study an experiment in which the observer collects data over time without interacting with the
area of study (SRB, IG)
omnivore a consumer that eats both plants and animals (SRB, IG)
organism a living thing (SRB, IG)
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photosynthesis the process by which producers make energy-rich molecules (food) from water and carbon
dioxide in the presence of light (SRB, IG)
phytoplankton a huge array of photosynthetic microorganisms that are free-floating in water (SRB)
polar zone the climate zone that is closest to the North and South Poles (latitude 60˚–90˚ north and latitude
60˚–90˚south) (SRB)
population all the individuals of one kind (one species) in a specified area at one time (SRB, IG)
population study an experiment in which the observer collects data over time for one population in an
ecosystem (SRB, IG)
predator an organism, usually an animal, that eats other organisms (SRB, IG)
prey an organism, usually an animal, that is eaten by another organism (SRB, IG)
primary consumer organisms that eat producers; also called first-level consumers (SRB, IG)
proboscis a tube-like beak for sucking fluids from plants. True bugs have this structure. (SRB)
producer an organism that is able to produce its own food through photosynthesis (SRB, IG)
provisioning in the context of ecosystem services, benefits of an ecosystem such as food, water, or fuel (SRB,
IG)
regulating in the context of ecosystem services, benefits of an ecosystem such as climate regulation or disease
control (SRB, IG)
reproductive potential the theoretical unlimited growth of a population over time (SRB, IG)
sampling a technique to count the organisms in an selected area to make inferences about the total number of
organisms (SRB, IG)
secondary consumer organisms that eat primary consumers; also called second-level consumers (SRB, IG)
second-level consumer organisms that eat primary consumers; also called secondary consumers (IG)
species a kind of organism. Members of a species are all the same kind of organism and are different from all
other kinds of organisms. (SRB, IG)
supporting in the context of ecosystem services, benefits of an ecosystem that support other services, such as
water cycling and soil formation (SRB, IG)
sustain to last or maintain over a long period of time (SRB)
sustainable can last or maintain itself over a long period of time (SRB, IG)
temperate zone the climate zone lying between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle in the Northern
Hemisphere or between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere (SRB)
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terrestrial of the land (SRB, IG)
tertiary consumer organisms that eat secondary consumers; also called third-level consumers (SRB, IG)
third-level consumer organisms that eat secondary consumers; also called tertiary consumers (IG)
trophic level a functioning role in a feeding relationship through which energy flows (SRB, IG)
trophic pyramid a trophic-level diagram in which the largest layer at the base is the producers; the first-level,
second-level, and third-level consumers are in the layers above (SRB)
tropical zone the climate zone closest to the equator (latitude 30˚ south to 30˚ north) (SRB)
tufa tower a naturally occurring, gray, lumpy structure that forms underwater in a salt lake because of a
chemical reaction between calcium and salt (SRB)
unbiased free from all favoritism (IG)
variation the range of expression of a trait within a population (SRB)
zooplankton microscopic adult animals and larval forms of animals found free-floating in fresh water and sea
water (SRB)
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