| A | B |
|---|
| ECOLOGY | THE SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINE WHICH STUDIES THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LIVING ORGANISMS AND THE INTERACTIONS THEY HAVE WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT |
| BIOSPHERE | THE PORTION OF THE EARTH THAT SUPPORTS LIFE |
| BIOTIC FACTOR | THE LIVING FACTORS IN AN ORGANISM'S ENVIRONMENT |
| ABIOTIC FACTOR | THE NONLIVING FACTORS IN AN ORGANISMS ENVIRONMENT |
| POPULATION | A SINGLE SPECIES THAT SHARE THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION |
| BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITY | A GROUP OF INTERACTING POPULATIONS THAT SHARE THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AT THE SAME TIME |
| ECOSYSTEM | A BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THE ABIOTIC FACTORS THAT AFFECT IT |
| BIOME | A LARGE GROUP OF ECOSYSTEMS THAT SHARE THE SAME CLIMATE AND HAVE SIMILAR TYPES OF COMMUNITIES |
| HABITAT | AN AREA WHERE AN ORGANISM LIVES |
| NICHE | THE ROLE OR POSITION AN ORGANISM HAS IN IT'S ENVIRONMENT |
| PREDATION | THE ACT OF ONE ORGANISM PURSUING AND CONSUMING ANOTHER ORGANISM |
| SYMBIOSIS | THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS WHEN TWO OR MORE ORGANISMS LIVE TOGETHER |
| MUTUALISM | THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO OR MORE ORGANISMS WHERE THEY BOTH BENEFIT FROM ONE ANOTHER |
| COMMENSALISM | THE RELATIONSHIP WHERE ONE ORGANISM BENEFITS AND ONE IS NEITHER HELPED NOR HARMED |
| PARASITISM | A RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH ONE ORGANISM BENEFITS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OTHER |
| AUTOTROPH | AN ORGANISM THAT COLLECTS ENERGY FROM SUNLIGHT OR INORGANIC SUBSTANCES TO MAKE ITS OWN FOOD |
| HETEROTROPH | AN ORGANISM THAT GETS ITS ENERGY REQUIREMENTS BY CONSUMING ANOTHER ORGANISM |
| HERBIVORE | PLANT EATER: PRIMARY CONSUMER |
| CARNIVORE | MEAT EATER: PREYS ON OTHER ORGANISMS |
| OMNIVORE | ORGANISMS THAT EAT BOTH PLANTS AND MEAT |
| DETRIVORE | DECOMPOSERS |
| TROPHIC LEVEL | EACH STEP IN A FOOD CHAIN OR WEB |
| FOOD CHAIN | A SIMPLE MODEL THAT SHOWS HOW ENERGY FLOWS THROUGH AN ECOSYSTEM |
| FOOD WEB | A MODEL REPRESENTING MANY INTERCONNECTED FOOD CHAINS |
| BIOMASS | THE TOTAL MASS OF LIVING MATTER AT EACH TROPHIC LEVEL |
| MATTER | ANYTHING THAT HAS MASS AND TAKES UP SPACE |
| NURTIENT | A CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE THAT AN ORGANISM MUST OBTAIN FROM ITS ENVIRONMENT TO SUSTAIN LIFE AND UNDERGO LIFE PROCESSES |
| BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE | THE EXCHANGE OF MATTER THROUGH THE BIOSPHERE |
| NITROGEN FIXATION | THE PROCESS OF CAPTURE AND CONVERSION OF NITROGEN INTO A FORM THAT IS USABLE BY PLANTS |
| DENITRIFICATION | SOIL BACTERIA CONVERT FIXED NITROGEN BACK INTO NITROGEN GAS |
