Terminology

abiotic element = any non-living component of an ecosystem (e.g. water, soil) (pg. 98) acteria = a simple unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus and other organelles

B

biodiversity = the variety of plant and animal life in an ecosystem (pg. 152)

biotic = any living (or once living) thing found in the environment (e.g. deer, tree) (pg. 97)

C

carbon cycle = the process by which carbon is recycled in the ecosystem. (pg. 137)

carnivore = an organism that only eats other animals (pg. 123)

community = a group of populations of different species living in a given area (pg. 97)

competition = occurs when more than one organism tries to obtain the same basic resource in the same habitat (pg. 107)

consumer = an organism that eats other living things for energy (pg. 123)

cycle = a pattern in nature that repeats over time (pg. 123)

D

decomposer = an organism that consumes and breaks down dead organisms or waste matter into simple substances (pg. 124)

detrivore = an organism that feeds on large parts of decaying plant and animal material and on waste matter (pg. 124)

E

ecology = the study of the relationships between organisms, and between organisms and their environment (pg. 99)

ecosystem = a network of interactions that link living and non-living parts of an environment (p. 98)

F

food chain = a sequence that shows how energy and nutrients are transferred from one organism to another in an ecosystem (pg. 126)

food web = a model that shows how food chains in an ecosystem are connected (p. 127)

H

habitat = the environment where an organism lives (pg. 100)

herbivore = an organism that eats only plants (pg. 123)

I

invasive species = a species that has been introduced into an area where it did not exist before; often it reproduces so aggressively that it replaces some of the original species (pg. 153)

M

micro-organism = a living thing that is small and must be viewed with the help of a microscope (pg. 97)

mutualism = an interaction between individuals or different species that benefits both individuals (pg. 109)

N

native species = species that occurally naturally in an area (pg. 109)

nutrient = a substance that an organism needs to grow and maintain its body (pg. 102)

O

omnivore = an organism that eats both plants and animals (pg. 123)

organism = a living thing (pg. 97)

P

photosynthesis = a process by which plants use water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to produce sugars (food) (pg. 122)

pollution = contaminants in the environment that could harm living things (pg. 39)

population = a group of organisms of the same species in a given area (pg. 97)

predator = an organism that hunts other living things for food (pg. 108)

prey = an animal that is hunted by a predator (pg. 108)

primary succession = succession that develops a community of plants and animals in an area where no living things existed before (pg. 148)

producer = an organism that makes its own food from non-living materials (pg. 122)

pyramid of numbers = a model that shows the number of individuals at each level in a food chain or food web (pg. 133)

S

scavenger = an organism that eats already dead animals (pg. 123)

secondary succession = succession that develops a community in an area after it has been disturbed (pg. 150)

species = a group of similar organisms that can mate and reproduce more of the same type of organism (pg. 97)

succession = a series of gradual changes that result in the replacement of one community of plants and animals by another (pg. 148)

sustainable = something that can be maintained and used indefinitely (pg. 136)

W

water cycle = the process which involves the continuous movement of water from the oceans and fresh water sources to the air and land and then back to the oceans (pg. 138)