Ecology Glossary Terms Unit 1

all the interacting parts of a biological community and its environment

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

the living parts of an ecosystem

the non-living parts of an ecosystem

the hard part of Earth's surface

all water found on Earth

layer of gases above Earth's surface

regions of Earth where living organisms exist

a chemical essential to living things

process where nutrient layers in aquatic systems increase, leading to an increase in 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

the total mass of living organisms in a defined area

a measure of the amount of energy or biomass transferred from 1 trophic level, to the next

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

a process where the concentration of ingested toxins increases as it moves through trophic levels

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

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

an atmospheric gas that prevents heat from leaving the atmosphere

the warming of the Earth, due to greenhouse gases

precipitation that is unnaturally acidic