1. Ecology Vocabulary

2. 1) Ecology The study of the relationship between organisms and their environment, interactions with their environment as well as each other.

3. 2) biosphere The area on, or around earth where all life exists (land, water, air). It is a relatively thin band 12 miles thick.

5. 3) biome a group of ecosystems that have the same climate and dominant communities (has specific vegetation and other characteristics)

6. 4) ecosystem a geographic area characterized by specific kinds of plants and animals. (It consists of biotic and abiotic factors)

7. 5) community all populations of organisms in one area (inhabiting a common environment or ecosystem)

8. 6) population all members of a species that live in the same area (& make up a breeding group)

9. 7)habitat It is the physical area (the place), in which an organism lives. (a forest, a pond, a lake etc.)

10. 8) niche It is the organism’s way of life, or the role the species plays in its environment. (It includes the range of conditions it can tolerate, the methods it obtains resources, the number of offspring it has, time of reproduction, and all or its interactions in the environment.)

12. 9) Autotrophs organisms that can capture energy from the sun or chemicals, to synthesize organic substances from inorganic (They make their own food)

13. 10) Producer autotrophic organism that captures energy to make organic molecules (examples: plants, algae, some bacteria) –base of food chain

14. 11) Photosynthesis – the conversion of light energy into chemical energy stored in organic compounds.

15. 12) Chemosynthesis the production of carbohydrates through the use of energy from inorganic molecules instead of light.

16. 13) heterotroph – an organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their byproducts.

17. 14) consumer a heterotroph that obtains energy from organic molecules made by other organisms.- above producer level on food chain

18. 15) decomposer an organism that obtains organic nutrients from dead organic matter

19. 16) herbivore a consumer that eats producers such as plants, or plant matter

20. 17) carnivore a consumer that eats other consumers.

21. 18) omnivore an organism that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals.

22. 19) detritivore a consumer that feeds on dead plant and animal matter, as well as other decaying matter. (beetles, earthworms, snails)

23. Scavengers They do not kill, but eat animals that have already died.

25. 20) Food Chain a series of steps in an ecosystem, through which organisms transfer energy by eating or being eaten. It is a pathway beginning with producers, along which energy is transferred from trophic level to trophic level of consumer.

26. 21) Food Web interconnected, or overlapping food chains in an ecosystem (It demonstrates more complex feeding relationships).

27. 22) Trophic Level - a feeding level in an ecosystem, or a step in a food chain or web. It is a level in which organisms compete for food.

28. Energy Pyramid demonstrates energy transfer between trophic levels.

30. 23) Biomass the dry weight of organic material in an ecosystem, or the total amount of living tissue in a given trophic level. (Producers add biomass to the ecosystem by making organic molecules. The amount of biomass that can be produced decreases at higher trophic levels.)

31. 24) biotic factor the living component of the ecosystem

32. 25) Abiotic factor a nonliving component of an ecosystem (such as: climate, rainfall, soil composition, temperature etc.)