| A | B |
|---|
| Ecology | The study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their physical enviroment(soil, water, weather) |
| Habitat | The place where particular population of a species lives |
| Community | Many different species that live together in a habitat |
| Ecosystem | Community and all the physical aspects of its habitat-the soil, water, and weather. |
| Species Diversity/Diversity | The number of species living within the ecosystem |
| Succession | The regular progression of species replacement |
| Primary Succession | Succession occurs in areas where there has been no previous growth |
| Secondary Succession | Succession occurs in areas where there has been previous growth |
| Primary Productivity | Amount of organic material that the photosynthetic organisms of an ecosystem produce |
| Producers | Organisms that first capture energy; bacteria, algae |
| Consumers | Obtain energy to build their molecules by consuming plants or other organisms |
| Tophic Level | determined by the organism's source of enery; every organism assigned to a level |
| Herbivores | 2nd trophic level; animals that eat plants |
| Carnivores | 3rd trophic level; Flesh-eating animals |
| Omnivores | Cannot digest cellulose;humans |
| Detritivores | include fungal and bacteria, decomposers, vultures, and worms. obtain energy form the organic wastes and dead bodies taht are produced at all trophic levels |
| Decomposers | Bacteria and fungi; they cause decay |
| Food Chain | A path of energy through the trophic levels of an ecpsystem |
| Food Web | Complicated interconnected path of energy; food chain |
| Biomass | The dry weight of tissue and other organic matter |
| Ground Water | Water retained beneath the surface |
| Nitrogen Fixation | Process of combining nitrogen gas with hydrogen to form ammonia |
| Assimilation | The absorption and incorporation of nitrogen into plant and animal compounds |
| Ammonification | The production of ammonia by bacteria during the decay of nitrogen-containing organic matter |
| Nitrification | The production of nitrate from ammonia |
| Denitrification | The conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas |
