Ecology Flashcards Flashcards

The interaction of a community of living organisms with the non-living parts of their environment.

Non-living factors of the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and moisture levels.

Living factors of the environment, such as availability of food, new predators, and competition between species.

The dependence of species on each other for food shelter, pollination, seed dispersal, etc.

A community where all the species and environmental factors are in balance so that population sizes remain fairly constant.

A feature that enables an organism to survive in its environment.

An organism that makes its own food, usually through photosynthesis, and is the start of a food chain.

An organism that eats other organisms. Can be primary, secondary, or tertiary.

An organism that breaks down dead material and waste, returning nutrients to the environment.

The position of an organism in a food chain, food web, or ecological pyramid.

process by which carbon is cycled through the atmosphere, living organisms, and the Earth.

The process by which water moves through the environment, including evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

The variety of different species of organisms on Earth, or within an ecosystem.

The cutting down of large areas of forest, often to clear land for agriculture or urban development.

The gradual increase in the Earth's average temperature due to increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.