Ecology Vocab

the scientific study of interactions a among organisms and between organisms and their environment, or surroundings.

contains the combined portions of the planet in which all of life exists, including land, water, and air, or atmosphere

a group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring

groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

assemblages of different populations that live together in a defined area

a collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their nonliving, or physical environment

a group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities

organism that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds

process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches

process by which some organisms such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy

organism that obtains energy by eating only plants

organism that obtains energy by eating animals

organism that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals

organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter

organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter

series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

network of complex interactions formed by feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem

step in a food chain or food web

diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter within each trophic level in a food chain or food web

total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed form one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another

process by which water changes form a liquid to an atmospheric gas

loss of water from a plant through its leaves

chemical substance that an organism requires to live

process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia

conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas

rate at which organic matter is created by producers in an ecosystem

single nutrient that either is scarce or cycles very slowly, limiting the growth of organisms in an ecosystem

an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other producers that result from a large input of limiting nutrients