Chapter 1 Glossary Terms

all the interacting parts of a biological community and its environment

an ecosystem that is capable of withstanding pressure and giving support to  variety of orgnisms

the living parts of an ecosystem E.g Plants and animals

the hard part of Earths's surface

all the water found on Earth, including lakes, oceans, and ground water

the layer of gases above Earth's surface

the regions of Earth where living organisms exist

the non-living parts of an ecosystem e.g rocks, water and oxygen

a chemical that is essential to living things and is cycled through ecosystems

a process in which nutrient levels in aquatic ecosystems increase in the populations of primary producers

a process that changes solar energy into chemical energy

a category of organisms that is defined by how the organisms gain their energy

a measure of the amount of energy or biomass transferred from one trophic level to the next higher trophic level

the total mass of living organisms in a defined group or area

a process in which an organism ingests materials, especially toxins, faster than it eliminates them

a process in which the concentration of ingested toxins increases as it moves from one trophic level to the next

a process that releases energy from organic molecules, especially carbohydrates, in the presence of oxygen

a process that releases energy from organic molecules, especially carbohydrates, in the absence of oxygen

an atmospheric gas that prevents heat from leaving the atmosphere, thus increasing the temperature of the atmosphere

the warming of Earth as a result of greenhouse gases, which trap some of the energy that would otherwise leave earth

rain, snow or fog that is unnaturally acidic due to gases in the atmosphere that react with water to form acid