1. Ecology Vocabulary (Part A: Basics and Relationships)
Make cards for the words you got wrong….
use the examples provided or think of your own!

2. Pertaining to the nonliving factors playing a role in environment
abiotic factors
Pertaining to the nonliving factors playing a role in environment

3. autotroph (producer)
Makes own food (Ex) plants

4. biotic factors
Pertaining to the living factors playing a role in environment

5. carnivore
an organisms that eats meat only

6. biome
a complex community characterized by distinctive plants, animals and climate

7. carrying capacity
maximum population of a particular organism an environment
can support

8. commensalism
A relationship in which one member benefits and the other is NOT harmed and does
NOT benefit

9. population
a group of living things interacting with one another in a specific region

10. competition
the struggle among organisms both of the same and different species for food, mate and other vital requirements

11. Consumer (heterotroph)
an organism, like an animal, that consumes or feeds on other animals

12. decomposer
breaks down dead organisms and turns them into simpler substances (ex) bacteria

13. ecology
branch of biology dealing with interactions between living and nonliving factors in an environment

14. ecosystem
system formed by the interactions of a community of organisms and their environment (living and non-living things)

15. energy pyramid show the amount of energy in each level of an ecosystem
(bottom of pyramid is
biggest - therefore has
most energy)

16. food chain
series of organisms interrelated by their feeding habits. (arrows point from the MOST energy to the LEAST energy)

17. food web
Made up of two or more food chains

18. habitat
the natural environment of an organism; place natural for food and other resources of an organism

19. herbivore
an organism that eats plants only

20. host
an organism from which a parasite receives nutrition/resources

21. limiting factor
any variable that slows the growth or activities of an organism

22. mutualism
A relationship in which each member benefits from the relationship

23. niche
the role of an organism in the community

24. omnivore
eats both plants and animals

25. parasite
organism that lives on or in another organism causing harm

26. parasitism
a relationship in which one member benefits and the other is harmed

27. population
a single type of an organism in a given location

28. population density
number of organisms per unit of area

29. predator
an organism that captures and feeds on the other organism

30. prey
the organism that IS captured and eaten for food by a carnivorous animal

31. scavenger
feeds on dead animals (ex) vulture

32. symbiosis
a relationship between two or more species which are living in the same area, in which at least one organism benefits. (there are different kinds, for example, commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, predation)