| A | B |
|---|
| adaptation | the changes in a population that increases the ability to live |
| biosphere | highest level of ecological organization |
| ecology | the study of the relationships between organisms and the environment |
| ecosystem | all of the organisms in an area and their physical environment |
| epiphyte | a plant that grows on the surface of another plant but is not parasitic |
| evolution | process that changes populations of organisms over time |
| nutrient | raw materials required for development, maintenance, and reproduction |
| population ecologists | study adaptation, extinction, distribution |
| region | geographic ecology |
| landscape | ecologists study the exchanges of materials, energy and organisms with other communities & ecosystems |
| community | association of interacting species |
| interactions | predation, parasitism, competition |
| population | group of individuals of a single species living in a defined area |
| individual | one kind of organism |
| physiological ecologists | study evolution of physiological and anatomical mechanisms used to solve problems |
| behavioral ecologists | focus on evolution of behaviors that animals use to survive |
| ecologists | include all physical & chemical factors influencing community & focus on energy flow |
| stable isotope analysis | used to analyze the blood from an organism to determine where it has lived |
| hypothesis | possible answer to a question |
| community ecologists | study organisms inhabiting an area |
