Download Environment unit vocabulary

ENVIRONMENT UNIT VOCABULARY
Term
Definition
Abiotic factor
A nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Adaptability
Ability to respond to changes in the environment.
A characteristic that helps an organism survive and
reproduce in its natural environment.
Anything living in an ecosystem.
An animal that eats only meat from other animals.
Adaptation
Biotic factor
Carnivore
Catastrophic event
Climax community
Community
Competition
Consumer
Decomposers
Ecology
Ecosystem
Endangered species
Energy pyramid
Environment
Food chain
Food web
Habitat
A disastrous event, natural or man made that causes
widespread damage or death.
A community that exists in equilibrium and will not
change drastically unless it is disturbed.
All the different organisms (populations) that live
together in an area.
Occurs when more than one individual or population
tries to make use of the same resource.
An organism that cannot make its own food so it
obtains energy by feeding on other organisms.
An organism that breaks down dead organisms to
recycle nutrients back into the environment.
The study of how organisms interact with one
another and their environment.
All the living and nonliving things that interact in an
area.
Population of an organism at risk of becoming
extinct.
A diagram that shows the amount of energy
transferred from one feeding level to another in a
food chain.
The surroundings of an organism.
A series of events in which one organism eats
another.
The pattern of overlapping food chains in an
ecosystem.
The place where an organism lives that provides the
things the organism needs.
Herbivore
An animal that eats only plants.
Host
Organism that a parasite feeds from.
Resources which may limit the number of organisms
supported by an ecosystem.
Random changes in genes that cause variations that
can be helpful or harmful.
Symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.
Limiting factors
Mutations
Mutualism
Natural disaster
Unexpected or uncontrollable natural event that
results in widespread destruction of habitat, damage
to property or injury/ death.
Natural selection
The process by which organisms best adapted to
their environment survive & reproduce to pass on
favorable traits to their offspring.
Niche
An organism’s particular role in an ecosystem.
Omnivore
Organism
An animal that eats both plants and animals.
Any living thing.
Organism that feeds on the cells, tissues or body
fluids of another organism.
The first species to populate an area.
Parasite
Pioneer Species
Example
Air, sunlight, soil, rocks, temperature,
clouds, asphalt, dumpster
Giraffe’s neck, humming bird’s beak, lions
claws & teeth etc…
Plants, animals, fungi, bacteria
Lion, coyote, shark, snakes, owls, etc…
Habitat destruction, pollution,
development, overpopulation, war/
terrorism, etc…
San Antonio community would include
trees, grass, animals, pets, people, etc...
Bacteria and fungi are the most common
decomposers.
Too few in number or threatened by
environmental changes or predation.
Food, shelter, water, etc…
Rabbits, cows, zebras, giraffes, etc…
Dog to fleas, human to mosquito.
Food, water, soil, space, etc…
Lichens; sea anemones & clownfish.
Hurricane, tornadoes, earthquakes,
volcanoes, tsunamis, droughts, wildfires,
floods, processes that damage or
destroys soil.
Habitat, place in food chain, relationships
with other species.
Bears, raccoons, humans, chimps, etc…
Plants, fungi, animals, bacteria, etc…
Fleas, ticks, tapeworms, mosquitoes,
etc…
Usually lichens, mosses, weeds or grasses.
Population
Predator
Prey
Primary Consumer
Primary Succession
Producer
Quaternary Consumer
Secondary Consumer
Secondary Succession
Species
All of the organisms of the same species that live in
area at the same time.
A carnivore adapted to hunt and kill other animals for
food.
Organism that is hunted an eaten by another
organism.
An animal that eats plants in a food chain – an
herbivore.
The changes that occur in an area where no
ecosystem has previously existed.
An organism that can make its own food, usually by
converting sunlight into glucose (sugar).
A predator that eats another animal, that has eaten
another animal, in a food chain.
An organism that feeds on herbivores in a food chain.
The changes that occur after a disturbance in an
existing ecosystem.
A group of similar organisms that can mate with one
another and produce fertile offspring.
Lion, tiger, hawk, eagle, killer whale,
shark, polar bear, snake, etc…
Occupies the second trophic level in an
energy pyramid.
After volcanic eruption or bare rock under
glaciers.
Plants.
Occupies the fifth trophic level in an
energy pyramid.
Occupies the third trophic level in an
energy pyramid.
After tornado, hurricane, wildfire, etc…