Download Eco- Definitions Answers

SNC 1P
Ecology - Glossary of Terms
Name: ___________________
Give a definition and an example of each of the following terms from your textbook. Make sure that you are
not just copying down definitions that mean nothing to you, but are rewritten in your own words WITH
EXAMPLES if possible so they are completely understandable.
Word
Definition and Example
Abiotic Factors
Abiotic components are the nonliving components of the
biosphere. Chemical and geological factors, such as rocks and
minerals, and physical factors, such as temperature and
weather, are referred to as abiotic components.
Aquatic Ecosystem
An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. Communities of
organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in
aquatic ecosystems. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine
ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems.
Atmosphere
the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.
Autotrophs
an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple
inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide. Example: Plants
Biodiversity
The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Example, many types of animals and plants in an ecosystem.
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Biosphere
The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be termed the
zone of life on Earth.
Biotic Factors
Biotic components are the living things that shape an ecosystem. A biotic
factor is any living component that affects another organism,
including animals that consume the organism in question, and the
living food that the organism consumes.
Carnivore
An animal that feeds on flesh. Example, tiger.
Nitrification
The process by which bacteria in soil and water oxidize ammonia and ammo
nium ions and form nitrites andnitrates. Because the nitrates can be absorbe
d by more complex organisms, as by the roots of greenplants, nitrification is
an important step in the nitrogen cycle.
Consumer
An organism that generally obtains food by feeding on
other organisms or organic matter due to lack of the ability
to manufacture own food from inorganic sources; a heterotroph.
Decomposer
An organism whose ecological function involves the recycling of nutrients by
performing the natural process of decomposition as it feeds on dead or
decaying organisms.
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Denitrification
The conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas which is then released into the
atmosphere. This is caused by bacteria and how they obtain their energy. A
small amount is converted to usable forms by lightning in a process called
atmospheric nitrogen fixation.
Ecology
Ecological science: the science concerned with the interactions of
living organisms with each other and with their environment.
Ecosystem
A system that includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well
as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit.
Food chain
A feeding hierarchy in which organisms in an ecosystem are grouped
into trophic (nutritional) levels and are shown in a succession to represent
the flow of food energy and the feeding relationships between them.
Food web
A food web is many food chains linked together to show a more accurate
model of all possible feeding relationships of organisms in an ecosystem.
Habitat
Place where an organism or a biological population normally lives or occurs.
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Herbivore
An animal that consumes herbaceous vegetation.
Any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants; horses are
herbivores; the sauropod dinosaurs were apparently herbivores. Animals that
consume plant material as a source of obtain in [energy.
Heterotrophs
An organism that is unable to synthesize its own organic carbonbased compounds from inorganic sources, hence, feeds on organic matter
produced by, or available in, other organisms.
Hydrosphere
The watery layer of the earth's surface; includes water vapor.
The area of earth that contains the major water bodies such as
underground water, oceans, seas, lakes and rivers.
Niche
In ecology, the definition of niche has changed overtime. Joseph Grinnell in
1917 coined the term niche, which he used as largely equivalent to a
species habitat. In 1927, Charles Sutherland Elton regarded niche to be
equivalent to the position of a species in a trophic web. In 1958, George
Evelyn Hutchinson used the term niche to describe the multi-dimensional
space of resources available to and used by a species.
Nitrogen Fixation
The assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by soil bacteria and its release for
plant use on the death of the bacteria. A capability of some bacteria to
harness nitrogen from the open air environment and use it to synthesizes
amino acids.
Omnivore
An animal that feeds on both plants and animals to survive. Humans are an
example.
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Pesticides
A pesticide is any substance to spread a culture to fight against organisms
considered harmful. This is a generic term which includes insecticides,
fungicides, herbicides, parasiticides.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a vital process among photoautotrophs,
like plants, algae and some bacteria that are able to create their own food
directly from inorganic compounds using light energy so that they do not
have to eat or rely on nutrients derived from other living organisms.
Photosynthesis occurs in plastids (e.g.chloroplasts), which are membranebounded organelles containing photosynthetic pigments (e.g. chlorophyll),
within the cells of plants and algae.
Population
A group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same
place at the same time (e.g. deer population).
Predator
In ecology, predators are those animals that live by preying on
other organisms for food. Many predators hunt and eventually kill their prey,
such as lion preying upon a buffalo.
Prey
The animal being hunted or the organisms being eaten.
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Primary consumer
In the food chain an animal that feeds on plants; a herbivore.
Producer
A photosynthetic green plant or chemosynthetic bacterium, constituting the
first trophic level in a food chain; an autotrophic organism.
Respiration
the process in living organisms of taking in oxygen from the surroundings
and giving out carbon dioxide (external respiration)
the chemical breakdown of complex organic substances, such as
carbohydrates and fats, that takes place in the cells and tissues of animals
and plants, during which energy is released and carbon dioxide produced
(internal respiration)
Secondary consumer
An animal that feeds on smaller plant-eating animals in a food chain.
Symbiosis
A close, prolonged association between two or more different organisms of
different species that may, but does not necessarily, benefit each member.
Or
A relationship of mutual benefit or dependence.
Terrestrial Ecosystem
A community of organisms and their environment that occurs on the
landmasses of continents and islands.
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Trophic/Energy level
Trophic levels are the feeding position in a food chain such as primary
producers, herbivore, primary carnivore, etc. Green plants form the first
trophic level, the producers. Herbivores form the second trophic level, while
carnivores form the third and even the fourth trophic levels. In this section we
will discuss what is meant by food chains, food webs and ecological
pyramids.
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