Download Definitions - Interactions in the Environment These are the current

Definitions - Interactions in the
Environment
These are the current definitions that you should be studying.
Biotic
The living components of an ecosystem.
Abiotic
The non-living components of an ecosystem.
Example: Wind, Sun, Water, etc
Organism
(Individual)
A single living thing.
Population
A group of organisms of the same species in an
ecosystem.
Community
A group of different populations interacting in an
ecosystem.
Ecosystem
All the organisms living in a particular area, as well
as all the nonliving, physical components of the
environment with which they interact.
Biome
A region of land with characteristic climate, soil
and organisms.
Weather
Describes the conditions of the atmosphere in a
certain area for a short period of time. Weather
changes constantly.
Climate
Describes the average weather that an area has
over a long period of time. Climate does not
generally change (can change over years).
Biosphere
The areas on and around Earth that can sustain
life.
Atmosphere
The air, in the biosphere, that surrounds Earth.
Lithosphere
The solid mineral material, in the biosphere, on
Earth.
Hydrosphere
The water, in the biosphere, on Earth.
Niche
The role of an organism in an ecosystem.
Producer
Plants that use energy from the sun to make
nutrients they need to survive.
Consumer
Organisms that eat food made by producers.
Herbivore
An animal that eats only plant material.
Carnivore
An animal that eats only other animals.
Omnivore
An animal that eats other animals and plant
material.
Predator
An organism that catches and eats other
organisms of a different species.
Prey
An organism that is caught and eaten by another
organism of a different species.
Scavenger
An organism that eats dead or decaying plant or
animal matter.
Decomposer
Organisms that break down the cells of dead or
waste materials and absorb their nutrients.
Food Chain
A sequence of feeding relationships among living
organisms, as they pass on food energy.
Energy Flow
The movement of energy, which originally comes
from the sun, from one organism to another.
Food Web
The network of feeding relationships among
organisms.
Symbiosis
An interaction between two organisms of different
species living in close proximity that lasts over
time.
Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship in which one of the
partners is harmed and the other benefits.
Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship in which both partners
benefit.
Commensalism
A symbiotic relationship in which one partner
benefits and the other is indifferent.
Energy Pyramid
A pyramid showing the number of organisms at
each level of a food chain.
Succession
The process by which new species gradually
replace old species in an ecosystem.