Ecology (Pre-AP) Flashcards

4916678789	In a stable environment, population sizes tend to	stay the same.	0
4916678790	mutualism	An interaction in which both species benefit.	1
4916678791	predation	An interaction in which one species benefits and the other is killed.	2
4916678792	parasitism	An interaction in which one species benefits and the other is harmed (but usually not killed).	3
4916678793	commensalism	An interaction in which one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefits.	4
4916718649	competition	An interaction where both species are harmed when they want the same resource.	5
4916678794	omnivore	A species that eats meat and plants.	6
4916678795	carnivore	A species that eats meat.	7
4916678796	herbivore	A species that eats plants.	8
4916682207	detritivore	organism that eats dead organic matter. Another term for decomposer.	9
4916684397	detritus	Nonliving organic matter, like the remains of dead organisms, feces, fallen leaves, dead wood, etc.	10
4916678797	decomposers	Organisms that break down the dead remains of other organisms. Example: mushrooms, earthworms.	11
4916713722	scavenger	A carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms	12
4916678798	niche	An organism's job and range of conditions it needs is a	13
4916678799	carrying capacity	The number of individuals that the environment can support.	14
4916678800	trophic level	Each step in a food chain or food web	15
4916678801	What happens to energy as it moves to each trophic level?	90% is lost and only 10% remains.	16
4916678802	food chain	A simplified path in which energy is transferred when one organism eats another.	17
4916678803	food web	Diagram that represents the many energy pathways in a real ecosystem	18
4916678804	autotroph	An organism that makes its own food. Also called a 'producer'.	19
4916678805	heterotroph	An organism that eats others for its food. Also called a 'consumer'.	20
4916678806	nitrogen cycle	The transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms, and back to the atmosphere	21
4916678807	carbon cycle	The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again.	22
4916678808	carbon source	Releases more carbon into the atmosphere than it takes in.	23
4916678809	examples of carbon sources	decomposing organisms, burning fossil fuels, volcanos, forest fires	24
4916678810	carbon sink	Stores more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases.	25
4916678811	examples of carbon sinks	oceans, soils, plants performing photosynthesis	26
4916678812	biotic factors	All the living organisms that inhabit an environment	27
4916678813	abiotic factors	Nonliving components of environment.	28
4916678814	limiting factors	Conditions in the environment that put limits on where an organism can live or how much the population can grow.	29
4916678815	biomass	Total amount of living tissue within a trophic level	30
4916678816	primary succession	The sequence of events that replace the organisms in a disrupted habitat where NO soil remains.	31
4916678817	secondary succession	The sequence of events that replace the organisms in a disrupted habitat where the soil remains.	32
4916678818	population	A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area	33
4916678819	community	A group of organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other.	34
4916678820	ecosystem	A community of organisms and their non-living environment. The biotic and abiotic factors.	35