Name ___________________________
Ecology Vocabulary Review
Chapters 13 – 16
Chapter 13: Principles of Ecology
A. Word Origins: Circle the Greek and Latin word parts in each vocabulary term. Then use the Greek and
Latin meanings to make a basic definition of the vocabulary word.
Word
1. ecology
Definition
2. carnivore
3. herbivore
4. detritivore
5. omnivore
6. autotroph
7. heterotroph
8. biogeochemical cycle
9. hydrologic cycle
10. biomass
B. Find the Odd Word: Circle the word that does not belong and explain why.
1. Consumer
Explanation _______________________________________________________
Carnivore
__________________________________________________________________
Plant
2. Detritivore
Explanation _______________________________________________________
Producer
__________________________________________________________________
Decomposer
3. Omnivore
Explanation _______________________________________________________
Autotroph
__________________________________________________________________
Herbivore
4. Trophic Level
Explanation _______________________________________________________
Energy Pyramid
__________________________________________________________________
Keystone Species
Chapter 14: Interactions in Ecosystems
C. What’s the Difference? For each par of words below, describe the difference between the two terms.
1. primary succession/secondary succession
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. ecological niche/habitat
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. density-dependent limiting factor/density-independent limiting factor
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. mutualism/parasitism
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
D. Matching: Write the vocabulary term next to its definition.
Commensalism
Competition
Mutualism
Parasitism
Predation
Symbiosis
______________________ 1. A close relationship between two or more individuals of different species that
live in close contact with one another
______________________ 2. Type of symbiosis in which one individual benefits while the other is harmed
______________________ 3. Occurs when one organism captures and eats another organism
______________________ 4. Type of symbiosis in which both individuals benefit
______________________ 5. Occurs when two organisms fight for the same limited organisms
______________________ 6. Type of symbiosis in which one individual benefits while the other individual
neither benefits nor is harmed
Carrying capacity
Emigration
Immigration
Limiting factor
Population crash
______________________ 7. The movement of individuals out of a population into another population
______________________ 8. The maximum number of individuals of a certain species that an environment
can normally support over a long period of time
______________________ 9. The movement of individuals into a population from another population
______________________ 10. A dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time
______________________ 11. A factor that controls the size of a population
Chapter 15: The Biosphere
E. What’s in the Box?!? For each vocabulary term, fill the box with words that will help you to remember
its meaning.
Deciduous
Tundra
Chaparral
1. _________________________ 2. _________________________ 3. _________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
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Coniferous
Taiga
Estuary
4. _________________________ 5. _________________________ 6. _________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
Desert
7. ________________________
Wetland
Biosphere
8. _________________________ 9. _________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________
Chapter 16: Human Impact on Ecosystems
F. Matching: Write the vocabulary term next to its definition.
Acid rain
Biomagnification
Particulate
Pollution
______________________ 1. Any undesirable factor added to the air, water, or soil
______________________ 2. The process in which fat-soluble pollutants move from one organism to
another, increasing in concentration as it moves up the food chain
______________________ 3. A microscopic bit of dust, metal, or unburned fuel
______________________ 4. A type of precipitation produced when pollutants in the water cycle cause rain
pH to drop below normal levels
Ecological footprint
Global warming
Greenhouse effect
Nonrenewable
resource
______________________ 5. Occurs when CO2, water, and methane molecules absorb energy radiated by
Earth’s surface and slow the release of this energy from Earth’s atmosphere
______________________ 6. The amount of land necessary to produce and maintain enough food and
water, shelter, energy, and waste to support each person on Earth
______________________ 7. The trend of increasing global temperatures
______________________ 8. Resources that are used faster than they can form
Habitat fragmentation
Indicator species
Introduced species
Sustainable
development
______________________ 9. Occurs when a barrier forms that prevents an organism from accessing its
entire home range
______________________ 10. A practice in which natural resources are used and manages in a way that
meets current needs without hurting future generations
______________________11. Any organism that was brought to an ecosystem as a result of human actions
______________________ 12. A species that provides a sign of the quality of an ecosystem’s environmental
conditions