Ecology WordDefinitionPictureExamples OrganismAny living thingTrees, lions, frog Create a table in your lab notebook with these headings. You will probably use the front and back of a page (maybe more). There are 24 vocabulary words underlined, the definition column should be the largest.

Biosphere Ecosystem Community Population Organism Levels of Ecological Organization - way of grouping like things ecologically

Biosphere  Part of Earth that supports life, top portion of Earth’s crust, all waters on Earth and the surrounding atmosphere

Biome Large geographic areas with similar climates and ecosystems: includes tundra, taiga, desert, temperate deciduous forest, temperate rain forest, tropical rain forest, freshwater, saltwater and grassland

Community  All the populations in an ecosystem of different species Ex. population of seals, sharks, whales, etc.

Population  All organisms in an ecosystem that belong to the same species. (more than one of the same species) Ex. School of fish or a flock of birds

Organism  Any living thing. Ex. Plant, animal, etc.

Habitat  Where an organism lives Ex. Tree’s are a woodpeckers habitat. Bears live in a cave.

Symbiosis  A close, long-term relationship between 2 or more species.  Three types of symbiosis: »Mutualism »Commensalism »Parasitism

Mutualism – a symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit. Example – Egyptian Plover (bird) eats insects off a crocodiles back and sometime the crocodile will open its mouth for the bird to eat leeches offs its tongue. Commensalism – a symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits while the other is unaffected. Ex. – Remora attach themselves to sharks, and feed on their scraps after a sharks meal.

Parasitism – a symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits while the other is harmed. –The parasite is the organism that benefits. –The host is the organism that is harmed. Ex. Leeches suck the blood out of organisms.

Producer  Organisms that use the sun to make food (photosynthesis)

Consumer  Organism that cannot make their own food, eat other organisms. –4 types of consumers: »Herbivores »Carnivores »Omnivores »Decomposers

 Herbivores: eat plants (primary consumer)  Carnivores: animals that eat other animals

 Omnivores: eat both plants and animals  Decomposers: consumes waste and dead organisms

Niche  How an organisms survives. Obtains food & shelter Finds mate & cares for young

Predator – hunts prey for food Prey – gets hunted by predator

Biodiversity Is known as the variety of life that is always changing to help the sustainability of an ecosystem. a. The more organisms you have living in a biome creates more biodiversity. b. The less organisms you have living in a biome creates a lack in biodiversity. AB

Habitat the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows. Microhabitat the microenvironment where a plant or animal normally lives and grows. –An example could be a decaying log

Terrestrial an area referring to land. Aquatic an area referring to water.