| A | B |
|---|
| decomposer | break down decaying organic matter |
| ecosystem | organisms and their non-living environment |
| heterotroph | must acquire energy from other organisms, ingesting them |
| chemosynthesis | using chemical energy to produce carbohydrates |
| photosynthesis | using light energy to produce carbohydrates |
| biosphere | all parts of the planet in which life exists |
| evaporation | water changing from liquid to gas |
| autotrophs | organisms that make their own food from sunlight or chemicals |
| carnivores | organisms that kill and eat other animals |
| omnivore | diets include both plants and animals |
| population | same species living in the same area |
| ecology | study of interactions between organisms and their environment |
| nutrients | substances needed to sustain life |
| nitrogen fixation | making nitrogen gas into ammonia |
| communities | different populations living in a defined area |
| biome | ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities |
| ten percent | the amount of energy passed from one trophic level to the next |
| scavengers | consume the carcasses of animals already killed |
| herbivore | eat plants and plant parts |
| species | can breed and produce fertile offspring |
| denitrification | converting nitrates to nitrogen gas by bacteria |
| detrivore | feed on dead plant & animal matter |
| food web | network of feeding relationships |
| nitrogen | makes up over 70% of the atmosphere |
| food chain | steps showing energy transfers of feeding |
| primary producer | organisms that make their own food |
| consumer | another name for heterotrophs |
| trophic level | each step in a food chain or a food web |
| energy pyramid | shows relative amount of energy contained in each trophic level |
| biomass | total amount of living tissue |
| limiting nutrient | nutrient whose supply limits productivity |
| biogeochemical cycles | closed loops in which elements are recycled |
| C, H, O, N, & P | elements that make up all carbon compounds |
| number pyramid | shows relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level |
| biotic factor | any living part of the environment |
| experimentation | the process of testing hypotheses |
| biomass pyramid | a diagram that shows the relative amount of living, organic material available at each trophic level |
| abiotic factor | nonliving parts of the environment |
| phytoplankton | primary producers in an aquatic food chain |
| zooplankton | small, swimming animals that feed on marine algae |
| ecological pyramids | show relative amounts of energy or matter within trophic levels |
| modeling | using mathematical formulas or smaller scale versions to understand a concept |
| legumes | peas, soybeans, & lentils are examples |
| observation | the process of niticing and describing events in an orderly way |
