Term Definition biosphere -the regions of the Earth where living organisms exist and the conditions that make life possible biome -a large area of the earth’s surface characterized by its vegetation, soil, climate, and wildlife. aquatic - freshwater and marine biomes grassland - open regions that are dominated by grass and have a warm, dry climate. forest -dominated by trees, and cover about one-third of the Earth. Forests contain much of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, including insects, birds, and mammals. niche -the role an organism plays in an ecosystem desert - dry areas where rainfall is less than 50 centimeters (20 inches) per year. tundra - a biome with extremely inhospitable conditions, with the lowest measured temperatures of any of the five major biomes with average yearly temperatures ranging from -29 to 54 degrees Fahrenheit ecosystem -a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life community -an interacting group of various species/populations in one common location. population - the whole number of one type of organism living in an area. organism -a single living thing species -a group of organisms that can breed with one another and make viable offspring. biotic - the living parts of an ecosystem Biology -the study of living organisms ecology -the study of living organisms and how they relate to each other and their environment. abiotic factor -the nonliving parts of an ecosystem environment the external surroundings including all of the biotic and abiotic factors that surround and affect the survival and development of an organism or population food chain -A single sequence of organisms that eat each other. Each ecological role is only represented once. food web -all the interconnecting food chains in a community. carnivore -a consumer that eats only animals consumer -an organism that eats another herbivore -an animal that eats only plants omnivore -a consumer that eats both plants and animals phytoplankton - a producer found in the ocean predator -an animal that hunts and eats other animals prey -an animal that is hunted and eaten by other animals producer -a living thing that makes its own food from a non-living (abiotic) source autotroph -an organism that can produce its own energy or food from an inorganic source decomposer -a living organism that breaks down dead organisms and returns their nutrients back to the soil habitat -the type of environment in which an organism normally lives ecosystem- a community of different populations and the environment in which they live biodiversity -the species variety and balance in an ecological community primary consumers -animals that eat primary producers; they are also called herbivores (planteaters). secondary consumers eat primary consumers. They may be carnivores or omnivores. tertiary consumers - animals that eat secondary consumers. quaternary consumers top predators - animals that eat tertiary consumers. - the top or apex of a food chain, web or pyramid; animals that have little or no natural enemies. -when two or more organisms need the same resource cooperation -common, mutually beneficial among animals in a community mutualism -both organisms benefit from the relationship environment -surroundings predation -behavior of one animal feeding on another parasite -an organism that gets food or shelter from another organism while causing harm to it host -the organism from which a parasite obtains its nutrition and/or shelter. symbiosis —the close relationship of two different organisms. commensalism -one organism benefits while the other is not affected parasitism -one organism benefits while the other is harmed adaptation -a characteristic that improves an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment evolution -The process in which inherited characteristics within a population change over generations such that new species sometimes arise. trait - a characteristic that an organism gets from its parents. It is genetic. heredity -the passing of genetic factors from parents to offspring or from one generation to the next. Inherit -to get a genetic trait from a parent mimicry - the behavior of an organism that copies its environment or another species to improve it’s chances of survival and reproduction camouflage - an organism disguises itself in order to escape predation mutation - a change to the genetic make-up of an organism natural selection -the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than less well adapted individuals do. behavioral adaptation -an organism responds to something in their environment to help it to survive/reproduce. physiological adaptation -an organism has a special body process that helps it to survive/reproduce. structural adaptation - an organism has a feature on its body that helps it to survive/reproduce. extinct -no longer in existence nitrogen - an element that takes the form of a gas (N2). It makes about four-fifths of the atmosphere. putrefying bacteria - bacteria that causes dead organisms to rot in order to obtain ammonia (NH3). ammonification - (NH2) in amino acids found in urine/decaying animals is changed into ammonia (NH3). nitrifying bacteria - bacteria that break down the ammonia (NH3) to nitrites (NO2) and then to nitrates (NO3) . nitrification - ammonia (NH3) is broken down to nitrites (NO2) by nitrifying bacteria. nitrogen fixation - making nitrogen from the atmosphere usable by adding oxygen to it. nitrates - (NO3) an ion that can be used by plants and passed on to consumers. Nitrites (NO2) an ion that is changed to nitrates (NO3) during the nitrogen cycle. denitrifying bacteria - bacteria that turn nitrates (NO3) back into nitrogen gas (N2). nitrogen fixing bacteria - bacteria that takes nitrogen gas (N2) and turns it into nitrates (NO3) that plants can use. root nodules -give plants nitrogen in exchange for carbohydrates in a mutualistic relationship. acidification -the process of becoming more acidic atmosphere - the mass of air surrounding the Earth biomass- the total amount of living matter in an organism, population, or trophic level biotic - relating to living organisms carbon -an abundant element that is in all organic compounds and is necessary for life carbon dioxide -an odorless colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances; absorbed from the air by plants in photosynthesis cellular respiration the processes in which organisms obtain energy from organic molecules and carbon dioxide is produced climate change a shift in the world's average weather and temperature combustion a reaction of a substance with oxygen to give heat and light cycle - a sequence of events that repeats decomposition -the rotting of organisms deforestation -the process of clearing large numbers of trees emission -a substance that is released fossil fuel - an energy-producing substance that comes from preserved organisms greenhouse effect - warming of the earth when solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere greenhouse gas -a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation hydrocarbon -an organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogen hydrosphere -the watery layer of the earth's surface lithosphere -the part of the Earth consisting of the crust and mantle methane -a colorless and odorless gas used as a fuel oxygen -a colorless, odorless gas that is essential for respiration photosynthesis -the process that makes glucose and oxygen in plants using water, carbon dioxide and radiant (light) energy Sequestration - ‘locking’ a chemical particle by reacting it with an ion or atom or molecule so that it is no longer available for reactions carbon cycle -the flow of carbon between the Earth's surface and atmosphere consumers -organisms that get their food by eating other organisms. decomposers -a type of consumer that gets energy from detritus and returns nutrients back to the environment. greenhouse effect -the trapping of reflected heat from the sun by the earth's atmosphere. Acid rain -rain containing nitric and sulfuric acids. biodiversity -total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere; also called biological diversity. deforestation -destruction of forests or widespread clearing of trees. ecological hot spot -small geographic area where significant numbers of habitats and species are in immediate danger of extinction. ecosystem diversity -variety of habitats, communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere. endemic species -a species that is found in its originating location and is generally restricted to that geographic area. extinction -term used to refer to a species that has died out and has no living members. invasive species -a species normally living outside an ecosystem that has been introduced through either deliberate or accidental human activity; can be known as introduced, nonnative, alien, nonindigenous, or exotic. monoculture -farming strategy of planting a single, highly productive crop year after year. nonrenewable resource -resource that cannot be replenished by a natural process within a reasonable amount of time. pollutant -harmful material that can enter the biosphere through the land, air, or water. primary succession -succession that occurs in an area in which no trace of a previous community is present. renewable resource -resource that can be produced or replaced by healthy ecosystem functions. secondary succession -type of succession that occurs in an area that was only partially destroyed by disturbances. smog -gray-brown haze formed by a mixture of chemicals. species diversity -number of different species that make up a particular area. sustainable development -strategy for using natural resources without depleting them and for providing human needs without causing long-term environmental harm. succession -a series of predictable and orderly changes within an ecosystem over time.
