Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
38 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
abiotic factors
|
an environmental factor that is not associated with the activities of living organisms
|
|
biomass
|
plant material, manure, or any other organic matter that is used as an energy source
|
|
biosphere
|
the part of Earth where life exists; includes all of the living organisms on Earth
|
|
biotic factors
|
an environmental factor that is associated with or results from the activities of living organisms
|
|
carbon cycle
|
the movement of carbon from the nonliving environment into living things and back
|
|
carnivore
|
an organism that eats animals
|
|
commensalism
|
a relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
|
|
community
|
a group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other
|
|
competition
|
the relationship between two species (or individuals) in which both species (or individuals) attempt to use the same limited resource such that both are negatively affected by the relationship
|
|
consumer
|
an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter instead of producing its own nutrients or obtaining nutrients from inorganic sources
|
|
decomposer
|
an organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms; examples include bacteria and fungi
|
|
detritvore
|
a consumer that feeds on dead plants and animals
|
|
ecological pyramid
|
A diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter, or numbers of organisms within each trophic level in a food chain or food web
|
|
ecology
|
the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their environment
|
|
ecosystem
|
a community of organisms and their abiotic environment
|
|
energy pyramid
|
a triangular diagram that shows an ecosystem's loss of energy, which results as energy passes through the ecosystem's food chain; each row in the pyramid represents a trophic (feeding) level in an ecosystem, and the area of a row represents the energy stored in that trophic level
|
|
food chain
|
the pathway of energy transfer through various stages as a result of the feeding patterns of a series of organisms
|
|
food web
|
a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem
|
|
habitat
|
the place where an organism usually lives
|
|
herbivore
|
an organism that eats only plants
|
|
lichen
|
a mass of fungal and algal cells that grow together in a symbiotic relationship and that are usually found on rocks or trees
|
|
mutualism
|
a relationship between two species in which both species benefit
|
|
niche
|
the unique position occupied by a species, both in terms of its physical use of its habitat and its function within an ecological community
|
|
nitrogen cycle
|
the cycling of nitrogen between organisms, soil, water, and the atmosphere
|
|
nitrogen fixation
|
the process by which gaseous nitrogen is converted into ammonia, a compound that organisms can use to make amino acids and other nitrogen-containing organic molecules
|
|
omnivore
|
an organism that eats both plants and animals
|
|
parasitism
|
a relationship between two species in which one species, the parasite, benefits from the other species, the host, which is harmed
|
|
predation
|
an interaction between two species in which one species, the predator, feeds on the other species, the prey
|
|
prey
|
an organism that is killed and eaten by another organism
|
|
primary consumer
|
any animal that eats plants or other producers
|
|
producer
|
an organism that can make organic molecules from inorganic molecules; a photosynthetic or chemosynthetic autotroph that serves as the basic food source in an ecosystem
|
|
scavenger
|
an animal that feeds on the bodies of dead animals
|
|
secondary consumer
|
second class of animals in the food chain; animals that prey on plant-eating primary consumers
|
|
symbiosis
|
a relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other
|
|
tertiary consumer
|
an animal whose main food is secondary consumers
|
|
transpiration
|
the process by which plants release water vapor into the air through stomata; also the release of water vapor into the air by other organisms
|
|
trophic level
|
one of the steps in a food chain or food pyramid; examples include producers and primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers
|
|
water cycle
|
the continuous movement of water between the atmosphere, the land, and the oceans
|