Ecosystems Vocab (Unit #10)

Ecosystems Unit #10

1.      ecology: study of the interactions of organisms with one another and their environment
2.      abiotic: describes nonliving parts of environment, such as water, rocks, and light
3.      biotic: describes living factors in the environment
4.      population: group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific area
5.      community: all the populations of species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other
6.      ecosystem: community of organisms and their abiotic environment
7.      biosphere: part of Earth where life exists
8.      herbivore: organism that eats only plants
9.      carnivore:  organism that eats animals (meat)
10.   omnivore: organism that eats both plants and animals
11.   food chain: diagram that shows how energy in food flows from one organism to another
12.   food web:  diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem
13.   energy pyramid:  triangular diagram that shows ecosystem’s loss of energy
14.   carrying capacity: largest population that an environment can support at any given time
15.   prey: organism that is killed and eaten by another organism
16.   predator: organism that eats all or parts of another organism
17.   symbiosis:  close long-term association between two or more species
18.   mutualism: symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit
19.   commensalism: symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and one is unaffected
20.   parasitism: symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits (parasite) and one is harmed (host)
21.   coevolution:  evolution of two species because of their close interactions with one another
22.   evaporation: change of substance from liquid to gas
23.   condensation:  change of substance from gas to liquid
24.   precipitation: any form of water that falls to the Earth’s surface from the clouds
25.   decomposition:  breakdown of substances into simpler molecular substances
26.   combustion: burning of a substance
27.   succession:  replacement of one type of community with another in a single place over time

28.   pioneer species: first organisms to live in an area

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