| A | B |
|---|
| ecology | the study of how organisms interact with their environment |
| ecosystem | all the biotic and abiotic factors in a given area and their interactions |
| biotic factors | the living part (organisms) of an ecosystem |
| abiotic factors | the nonliving part of an ecosystem |
| population | all the organisms of a single species living in a certain area |
| species | very similar organisms which are able to mate and produce fertile offspring |
| community | the collection of all the different populations in a given area |
| diversity | the number of different populations in an ecosystem |
| tropical rainforest | highly diverse forests near the equator |
| temperate deciduous forest | forest in the midlatitudes containing trees that shed their leaves |
| coniferous forest | forests containing conifers (pine trees) |
| coral reef | highly diverse ocean ecosystem |
| habitat | the area where an organism lives |
| niche | the role an organism plays in its ecosystem |
| producers | organisms that make their own food |
| photosynthesis | the process by which plants make sugars |
| autotrophs | also known as producers |
| consumers | organisms which must eat other organisms to survive |
| heterotrophs | also known as consumers |
| herbivores | consumers that eat only plants (producers) |
| carnivores | meat eaters |
| omnivores | organisms that eat plants and animals |
| decomposers | organisms that break down dead matter |
| symbiosis | a close relationship between two organisms from different species |
| parasitism | a relationship in which one orgnism is harmed |
| mutualism | a relationship in which both organisms benefit |
| commensalism | a relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected |
| food chain | a model showing the flow of energy and nutrients |
| food web | a diagram showing all the possible eating patterns in an ecosystem |
| transpiration | the process by which plants lose water through their leaves |
| photosynthesis | a process which uses water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight |
| cellular respiration | the process by which organisms burn sugar |
| decomposers | include bacteria and fungi |
| decomposers | natures recyclers |
