Ecology Vocab The study of the interactions among living things, & between living things & their surroundings. Ecology Comes from the Greek word oikos, which means “house”

Ecology Vocab Community A group of different species that live in one area. Ex: Groups of alligators, turtles, birds, fish, etc. that live in the Florida Everglades. Community

Ecology Vocab Ecosystem Includes all of the organisms as well as all the nonliving things (abiotic factors) in an area. Ecosystem

Ecology Vocab A major regional or global community of organisms. They are usually defined by the climate conditions & by the plant communities that live in that area. Ex: Rainforest, Tunga. Biome

Ecology Vocab Biotic Factor The living things in an ecosystem. Ex: Plants, Animals, Fungi, Bacteria. Biotic Factor

Ecology Vocab Abiotic Factor The nonliving things in an ecosystem. Ex: Temperature, Moisture, Wind, Rocks, Soil, Sunlight. Abiotic Factor

Ecology Vocab Biodiversity The assortment (variety) of living things in an ecosystem. Biodiversity

Ecology Vocab Keystone Species A species that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem. Ex: Beaver Keystone Species

Ecology Vocab Producer An organism that get their energy from nonliving resources. Meaning they make their own food. Ex: Plants Producer

Ecology Vocab Autotroph Organism that performs photosynthesis The suffix troph- comes from the Greek word meaning “nourishment”. The prefix Auto- means “self”. Self nourishment :)

Ecology Vocab Consumer Organisms that get their energy by eating other living or once- living resources. Also called heterotrophs. Consumer

Ecology Vocab Heterotroph An organism that consumes other organisms for energy or nourishment. Also called consumer. Heterotroph The suffix troph- comes from the Greek word meaning “nourishment”. The prefix Hetero- means different. Different Nourishment

Ecology Vocab Chemosynthesis A process by which an organism forms carbohydrates using chemicals, rather than light, as an energy source. Ex: Organisms found at deep-sea vents, hydrothermal pools, or marsh flats. Chemosynthesis

Ecology Vocab Herbivore Organisms that eat only plants. Ex: Desert cottontail Herbivore

Ecology Vocab Carnivore Organisms that eat only animals. Ex: Harris hawks eat desert cottontails. Carnivore

Ecology Vocab Omnivore Organisms that eat both plants and animals. Ex: Kangaroo rats eat seeds & insects. Omnivore

Ecology Vocab Detritivore Organisms that eat dead organic (plant and animal) matter. Ex: Millipede feeds on detritus. Detritivore Dih-TRY-tuh-VOHR

Ecology Vocab Decomposer These are detritivores that break down organic (plant and animal) matter into simpler compounds. Ex: Fungi Decomposer

Ecology Vocab Specialist A consumer that primarily eats one specific organism or feeds on a very small number of organisms. Ex: Florida snail kites rely on apple snails. Specialist

Ecology Vocab Generalist Organisms that have a varying diet. Ex: Gray wolf’s diet. Generalist

Ecology Vocab Trophic Level The levels of nourishment in a food chain. Also known as a feeding level. Trophic Level

Ecology Vocab A model that shows the complex network of feeding relationships & the flow of energy within an ecosystem. Food Web

Ecology Vocab Food Chain Sequence that links species by their feeding relationships. It shows the relationships for a single chain of producers & consumers. Food Chain

Ecology Vocab Energy Pyramid A Diagram that compares energy used by producers, primary consumers, & other trophic levels. Energy Pyramid

Ecology Vocab A measure of the total dry mass of all organisms in a given area. Biomass

Ecology Vocab Biogeochemical Cycle The movement of a particular chemical through the living (biological) & nonliving (geographical) parts of an ecosystem. Biogeochemical Cycle

Ecology Vocab The circular pathway of water on Earth. Hydrologic Cycle

Ecology Vocab Oxygen Cycle The process where oxygen flows into the atmosphere as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Organisms take in this oxygen & release it as CO2 through respiration. Oxygen Cycle

Ecology Vocab Carbon Cycle The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere, into organisms, and back again. Carbon Cycle

Ecology Vocab Nitrogen Fixation The process by which certain types of bacteria can turn nitrogen gas into ammonia. Nitrogen Fixation

Ecology Vocab Phosphorus Cycle A local cycle that begins when phosphate is released by the weathering of rocks. It is limited to water, soil, & ocean sediment. Phosphorus Cycle

Ecology Vocab Habitat The area in which an organism lives. Includes all the biotic and abiotic factors that interact with the organism. Habitat

Ecology Vocab Niche The role an organism plays within its habitat. All the physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy and reproduce. Niche

Ecology Vocab Succession Sequence of biotic changes that regenerate a damaged community or changes that create a community in a previously uninhabited area. Succession

Ecology Vocab Symbiosis A close ecological relationship between two or more organisms of different species that live in direct contact with one another. Symbiosis