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The Study of an Ecosystem/Ecology | Definitions
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The Study of an Ecosystem/Ecology | Definitions
Autotroph (Producer)
An organism that can make its own food from inorganic materials.
Abiotic Factors
These are the non-living features of an ecosystem that affect the community. They consist of physical and chemical conditions and they vary between ecosystems that are terrestrial or aquatic. They include temperature, light intensity, air speed, water current, humidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, nitrate, phosphate and other plant nutrients.
Biosphere
The narrow zone of the earth and its atmosphere which is inhabited by living organisms.
Biotic Factors
The living features of an ecosystem that affect the other members of the community. These include plants for food and shelter, predators, prey, parasites, pathogens, competitors and pollinators.
Carnivore
An animal that feeds exclusively or mainly on animal flesh, a meat eater.
Commensalism
Where one organism obtains benefit from another and leaves it completely unaffected (neither harmed nor helped), e.g. burdock seeds on the fur of passing animals.
Competition
The active struggle between organisms to obtain a sufficient supply of a resource that is in limited supply.
Community
A group of interacting populations of different species living in the same area.
Conservation
The protection and wise manangement of natural resources. Benefits include existing environments are maintained, endangered species are preserved for reproduction, the balance of nature is maintained and pollution and its effects are reduced.
Contest Competition
Involves an active physical confrontation between two organisms, e.g. two dogs fighting over a bone. One may have stronger muscles and sharper teeth and so will win the bone.
Decomposer (Detritivore)
An organism that feeds on dead organic matter. Detritus = dead organic matter.
Detritus Food Chain
A chain that begins with dead organic matter and animal waste (detritus).
Ecology
The study of living organisms and their interactions with each other and their environment.
Ecosystem
The community of living organisms interacting with each other and their environment within a particular area.
Ectoparasite
An organism living on the body of the host, e.g. a flea on a dog.
Edaphic Factors
The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil that influence the community. The major edaphic factors available are water, mineral content, pH, humus, soil texture and structure.
Endoparasite
An organism living inside the body of the host, e.g. a tapeworm in the intestine.
Energy Transfer
The flow of energy into the ecosystem from the sun, through different trophic levels within the ecosystem including detritus and finally, out of the ecosystem into the atmosphere as heat loss due to respiration.
Food Chain
A list of species where each is food for the next species in the list.
Food Web
A chart showing all the feeding connections in the habitat. This is made by showing the links between all food chains in the habitat.
Grazing Food Chain
A food chain where the initial plant is living, e.g. grass --> grasshoppers --> frogs --> hawks.
Habitat
The particular place where an organism lives and to which it is adapted.
Herbivore
An animal that feeds exclusively or mainly on plants, a plant eater.
Heterotroph (Consumer)
An organism that cannot make its own food. They need a supply of organic material from a different level in the food chain.
Interdependence
The reliance of organisms of different species on each other for survival.
Intraspecific Competition
The struggle between organisms of the same species for a limited resource.
Interspecific Competition
The struggle between organisms of different species for a limited resource.
Mutualism
Describes two organisms of different species, both of which benefit from a close relationship, e.g. a lichen is composed of an alga and a fungus intertwined. The alga obtains support and a mineral supply from the fungus and the fungus obtains food from the alga.
Niche
The functional role of an organism in an ecosystem.
Omnivore
An animal that feeds on plants and animal flesh.
Parasitism
Two organisms of different species living in close association where one organism benefits, causing harm to the other, e.g. a flea on a dog is an ectoparasite as is a tapeworm in the intestines.
Pollutant
Chemicals of human origin that harm the environment.
Pollution
Any harmful addition to the environment caused by human activity.
Population
A group of organisms of one species living in the same habitat.
Predator
An animal that catches, kills and eats another animal.
Predation
The catching, killing and eating of another animal.
Prey
An animal that is caught, killed and eaten by another animal.
Pyramid of Numbers
A diagram in block form which shows the number of individuals at each trophic level in a food chain. The size of each block indicates the number of individuals.
Saprophyte
Bacteria and fungi that feed on dead organic matter.
Scramble Competition
When each organism tries to acquire as much of the resource as possible but this may lead to decreased survival rates for all competitors.
Symbiosis
Two organisms of different species living in close association where at least one benefits.
Trophic Level
The position of a species in a food chain.
Eutrophication
When nutrients run off from the land into a lake/river, causing the dense growth of algae in the water and the eventual death of fish and other organisms.
Waste Management
The collection, transport, processing and recycling or disposal of waste materials produced by human activity to reduce their effect on human health, local aesthetics, amenity and the environment.
Cut dotted horizontal lines. Fold vertical line.
Autotroph (Producer)
An organism that can make its own food from inorganic materials.
Abiotic Factors
These are the non-living features of an ecosystem that affect the community. They consist of physical and chemical conditions and they vary between ecosystems that are terrestrial or aquatic. They include temperature, light intensity, air speed, water current, humidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, nitrate, phosphate and other plant nutrients.
Biosphere
The narrow zone of the earth and its atmosphere which is inhabited by living organisms.
Biotic Factors
The living features of an ecosystem that affect the other members of the community. These include plants for food and shelter, predators, prey, parasites, pathogens, competitors and pollinators.
Carnivore
An animal that feeds exclusively or mainly on animal flesh, a meat eater.
Commensalism
Where one organism obtains benefit from another and leaves it completely unaffected (neither harmed nor helped), e.g. burdock seeds on the fur of passing animals.
Competition
The active struggle between organisms to obtain a sufficient supply of a resource that is in limited supply.
Community
A group of interacting populations of different species living in the same area.
Conservation
The protection and wise manangement of natural resources. Benefits include existing environments are maintained, endangered species are preserved for reproduction, the balance of nature is maintained and pollution and its effects are reduced.
Contest Competition
Involves an active physical confrontation between two organisms, e.g. two dogs fighting over a bone. One may have stronger muscles and sharper teeth and so will win the bone.
Decomposer (Detritivore)
An organism that feeds on dead organic matter. Detritus = dead organic matter.
Detritus Food Chain
A chain that begins with dead organic matter and animal waste (detritus).
Ecology
The study of living organisms and their interactions with each other and their environment.
Ecosystem
The community of living organisms interacting with each other and their environment within a particular area.
Ectoparasite
An organism living on the body of the host, e.g. a flea on a dog.
Edaphic Factors
The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil that influence the community. The major edaphic factors available are water, mineral content, pH, humus, soil texture and structure.
Endoparasite
An organism living inside the body of the host, e.g. a tapeworm in the intestine.
Energy Transfer
The flow of energy into the ecosystem from the sun, through different trophic levels within the ecosystem including detritus and finally, out of the ecosystem into the atmosphere as heat loss due to respiration.
Food Chain
A list of species where each is food for the next species in the list.
Food Web
A chart showing all the feeding connections in the habitat. This is made by showing the links between all food chains in the habitat.
Grazing Food Chain
A food chain where the initial plant is living, e.g. grass --> grasshoppers --> frogs --> hawks.
Habitat
The particular place where an organism lives and to which it is adapted.
Herbivore
An animal that feeds exclusively or mainly on plants, a plant eater.
Heterotroph (Consumer)
An organism that cannot make its own food. They need a supply of organic material from a different level in the food chain.
Interdependence
The reliance of organisms of different species on each other for survival.
Intraspecific Competition
The struggle between organisms of the same species for a limited resource.
Interspecific Competition
The struggle between organisms of different species for a limited resource.
Mutualism
Describes two organisms of different species, both of which benefit from a close relationship, e.g. a lichen is composed of an alga and a fungus intertwined. The alga obtains support and a mineral supply from the fungus and the fungus obtains food from the alga.
Niche
The functional role of an organism in an ecosystem.
Omnivore
An animal that feeds on plants and animal flesh.
Parasitism
Two organisms of different species living in close association where one organism benefits, causing harm to the other, e.g. a flea on a dog is an ectoparasite as is a tapeworm in the intestines.
Pollutant
Chemicals of human origin that harm the environment.
Pollution
Any harmful addition to the environment caused by human activity.
Population
A group of organisms of one species living in the same habitat.
Predator
An animal that catches, kills and eats another animal.
Predation
The catching, killing and eating of another animal.
Prey
An animal that is caught, killed and eaten by another animal.
Pyramid of Numbers
A diagram in block form which shows the number of individuals at each trophic level in a food chain. The size of each block indicates the number of individuals.
Saprophyte
Bacteria and fungi that feed on dead organic matter.
Scramble Competition
When each organism tries to acquire as much of the resource as possible but this may lead to decreased survival rates for all competitors.
Symbiosis
Two organisms of different species living in close association where at least one benefits.
Trophic Level
The position of a species in a food chain.
Eutrophication
When nutrients run off from the land into a lake/river, causing the dense growth of algae in the water and the eventual death of fish and other organisms.
Waste Management
The collection, transport, processing and recycling or disposal of waste materials produced by human activity to reduce their effect on human health, local aesthetics, amenity and the environment.