| A | B |
|---|
| ecology | the study of all the living and nonliving factors in an ecosystem and their interactions |
| ecosystem | all the living and nonliving factors in an area |
| abiotic | nonliving |
| biotic | living |
| ecologist | someone who studies living things and their interactions with both biotic and abiotic factors |
| field study | counting of insects that live in a certain area |
| population | a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area |
| community | a group of different species of organisms living in the same area |
| niche | the role of an organism in an ecosystem |
| habitat | where organisms live |
| biogeochemical cycle | how nutrients cycle through the ecosystem |
| biosphere | all the places on, above or under the Earth where organisms live |
| hydrosphere | water on or under the Earth's surface where organisms are found |
| atomosphere | air above the Earth's surface where organisms are found |
| lithosphere | land on Earth where organisms are found |
| biomes | large areas with the same climate where certain plants and animals are found |
| taiga or coniferous forest | cold with everygreen trees |
| temperate forest or deciduous forest | has 4 seasons and trees lose leaves in the winter |
| desert | has less than 10 inches of rain a year |
| tropical rain forest | hot and has lots of rain, most biodiverse biome |
| fresh water | lakes, rivers, streams, swamps, wetlands |
| marine | has a high salt content |
| estuary | where fresh water runs into salt water |
| grassland | biome with few trees and warm or temperate climate |
| tundra | biome that has permanently frozen ground |
| aphotic zone | depth of the ocean that does not receive enough sunlight for photosynthesis |
| photic zone | level of ocean where photosynthesis does occur |
| carrying capacity | the most organisms that an area can support |
| limiting factors | things that limit the number of organisms in an area |
| logistic growth | s shaped curve that levels off after a time |
| exponential growth | growth never stops, no limiting factors |
