| A | B |
|---|
| biosphere | top portion of the earth's crust, water and atmosphere |
| ecosystem | consists of the organisms living in an area and the non-living features |
| ecology | study of the interactions of the living and non-living features |
| ecologist | someone who studies the interactions of living and non-living features |
| population | made up of all the organisms that belong to the same species in an ecosystem |
| community | refers to all the populations in an ecosystem |
| habitat | the place where an organism lives |
| limiting factor | anything that restricts the populations of an organism |
| carrying capacity | largest number of individuals an ecosystem can support |
| producer | an organism that captures sun energy |
| consumer | an organism that obtains energy from other organisms |
| niche | the species' unique requirements for survival, including habitat and food, and how it avoids danger, finds a mate and cares for its young |
| symbiosis | any close relationship among species |
| mutualism | a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit |
| commensalism | a symbotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is not affected |
| parasitism | a symbiotic relationship where one species is benefited and the other is harmed |
| predator | captures and consumes other organisms |
| prey | an organism that is captured by the predator |
