| A | B |
|---|
| ecology | the study of interactions of living organisms with one another and with their physical environment |
| population | a group of individuals that belong to the same species, live in the same area, and breed with each other in the group |
| habitat | the place where a particular population of a species lives |
| community | the many different species that live together in a habitat |
| ecosystem | consists of a community and all the physical aspects of its habitat such as soil, water and weather |
| biotic | living organisms in a habitat |
| abiotic | the physical aspects of a habitat |
| biodiversity | the number of species living within an ecosystem |
| species | a group of organisms that look alike and are capable of producing fertile offspring |
| succession | a somewhat regular progression of species replacement |
| primary succession | succession that occurs in areas where plants have not grown before |
| secondary succession | succession that occurs in areas where there has been previous growth (such as abandoned fields or forest clearings) |
| pioneer species | the first organisms to live in a new habitat |
| climax community | the final self-sustaining community of plants and animals |
