| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| biosphere | The top portion of the Earth's crust, all the waters that cover Earth's surface, and the atmosphere that surrounds Earth. |
| ecosystem | All of the organisms living in an area, as well as the nonliving parts of the environment. |
| Ecology | The study of interactions that occur among organisms and their environments. |
| Population | Made up of all the organisms of the same species that live in an area at the same time. |
| Community | All the populations of all species living in an ecosystem. |
| Habitat | The place where an organism lives. |
| Limiting Factor | Anything that restricts the number of individuals in a population. |
| Carrying Capacity | The largest number of individuals of one species that an ecosystem can support over time. |
| Biotic Potential | The highest rate of reproduction under ideal conditions. |
| Exponential Growth | When a species moves into a new area with plenty of food, living space, and other resources, the population grows quickly, in a pattern. |
| Producers | Organisms that use an outside energy source like the Sun to make energy-rich molecules. |
| Consumers | Organisms that cannot make their own energy-rich molecules. |
| Food Chain | A simple model of the feeding relationship in an ecosystem. |
| Symbiosis | Any close relationship between species. |
| Mutualism | A symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit. |
| Commensalism | A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is not affected. |
| Parasitism | A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits but the other is harmed. |
| Niche | An organism's role in the environment. |
| biotic | living |
| abiotic | not living |
| herbivore | plant eaters |
| carnivores | animals that eat other animals |
| omnivores | eat plants and other animals |
| prey | a consumer captured and eaten by another consumer |
| predator | consumers that capture and eat other consumers |
| A round worm living in a puppy is an example of what kind of symbiotic relationship? | parasitism |
| decomposers | consumes waste and other dead organisms |
| A clown fish protected by an anemone's tentacles is an example of which kind of symbiotic relationship? | commensalism |
| A fish living in a pond… is this an example of habitat or niche? | habitat |
| A cat uses its senses to find a mouse to eat… is this an example of habitat or niche? | niche |
| Is soil a living organism or a nonliving factor? | nonliving factor |
| Is a tree a living organism or nonliving factor? | living organism |
| Is water living or nonliving? | nonliving |
| Is the sun a living organism or a nonliving factor? | nonliving factor |
| Is grass living or nonliving | living |
| What is the part of the Earth that supports life called? | Biosphere |
| Competition for food, living space, or other resources can limit what? | population growth |
| If the number of birds in an area increases until there are no more nesting places, this means the ecosystem has reached its _______________ for birds. | carrying capacity |
| What does all life require a constant supply of? | energy |
| mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism are three kinds of what? | symbiosis |
| What kind of organism can directly convert energy from the sun into food? | producer |
| Trap – Mark – Release is a method for measuring what? | population |
