| A | B |
|---|
| abiotic | non-living |
| biomes | large regions that have about the same temperature and rain or snow |
| biotic | living |
| carnivores | animals that eat other consumers |
| climate | the average weather pattern of a region over a long period of time |
| commensalism | a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other does not appear to lose or gain |
| community | all of the interacting populations that live in an area |
| consumers | organisms that eat or consume food |
| decomposers | organisms that break down dead or waste material |
| ecologist | a person who observes and studies relationships between organisms and between organisms and their environment |
| ecology | the study of the interactions amon organism, as well as the interactions between organisms and their environment |
| ecoprovinces | natural regions with a distinct combination of climate, geography, landforms, and organisms |
| ecosystem | all the interacting organisms that live in an environment, as well as the abiotic parts of the environment that affect the organisms |
| habitat | the combination of biotic and abiotic parts of an environment that an organism uses or requires |
| herbivores | animals that eat plants |
| host | the organism that is harmed in a parasitic relationship |
| mutualism | a symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit |
| niche | the space where an organism lives and the role it plays within its ecosystem |
| omnivores | animals that eat both producers and consumers |
| parasite | the organism that benefits in a parasitic relationship |
| parasitism | a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed |
| populations | a group of individuals of the same species living together in one ecosystem |
| producers | organisms that create their own food |
| quadrat | a square that marks off a specific area for study |
| sampling | a method of estimating that involves counting the number of items in a small area and multyplying the number over the entire area of study |
| scavengers | organisms that eat decaying plants and animals |
| species | a group of organisms that can successfully mate with each other and reproduce |
| symbiosis | a biological relationship which two species live closely together in a relationship that lasts over time |
| symbiotic | living closely together over a long period of time |
