Download ECOLOGY VOCABULARY

ECOLOGY VOCABULARY
Ecology- study of interactions of living organisms with one another and with their physical
environment
Ecosystem- community and all of the physical aspects of its habitat (soil, air, water, weather)
Habitat- where an organism or species lives
Community- all the populations (different species) living in an ecosystem
Population- all the members of a species that live in the same ecosystem
Producers- organisms that first capture the energy and make their own food (plants)
Consumers- organisms that consume producers for food (animals)
Biosphere- the ecosystem comprising the entire earth and the living organisms that inhabit it
Limiting Factors- anything that restricts the number of individuals in a population (food, water,
temperature, natural resources)
Carrying Capacity- the largest number of individuals of one species in that ecosystem
Abiotic Factors- the physical aspects of a habitat, non-living chemical and physical parts of the
environment (rain, wind, temperature, altitude, soil, pollution, nutrients, pH, sunlight)
Biotic Factors- the living organisms of a habitat (animals, plants, trees, grass, bacteria, moss,
molds. The three groups of producers (autotrophs), consumers (heterotrophs), decomposers
(detritivores))
Niche- an organism’s role in its environment (how it obtains food and shelter, finds a mate,
cares for young, and avoids danger)
Herbivore- animals that eat plants or other primary producer (2nd trophic level)
Carnivore- animals that eat herbivores (3rd trophic level)
Omnivore- both herbivores and carnivores
Detritivore- obtain energy from organic waste and dead bodies, release nutrients back into
environment (decomposers: worms, bacteria, fungi)
Trophic level- a specific level in an ecosystem based on the organism’s source of energy
Food chain- the path of energy through the trophic levels of an ecosystem
Food web- a complicated, interconnected group of food chains
Biome- major biological community that occurs over a large area of land
Predation- the act of one organism feeding on another
Symbiosis- two or more species living together in a close, long-term association
Parasitism- one organism feeds on and usually lives on or in another, does not usually kill the
host (ex: ticks)
Mutualism- a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit (ex: bumblebees and flowers)
Commensalism- one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped (ex: barnacles
and whales)