Photosynthesis
the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to make food
Cellular respiration
the process by which cells use oxygen to produce energy from food
ecosystem
all of the living organisms and their nonliving environment in a specific area
biotic factor
an environmental factor that is associated with or results from the activities of living organisms
abiotic factor
an environmental factor that is not associated with the activities of living organisms
species
a group of organisms that are closely related and can mate to produce fertile offspring
population
a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area
community
all of the populations of species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other
predator
an organism that kills and eats all or part of another organism
prey
an organism that is killed and eaten by another organism
herbivore
an organism that eats only plants
Symbiosis
a relationship in which two different organisms live in close association with each other
competition
ecological relationship in which two or more organisms depend on the same limited resource
producer
an organism that can make its own food by using energy from its surroundings
consumer
an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter
decomposer
an organism that gets energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms or animal wastes and consuming or absorbing the nutrients
food web
a diagram that shows the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem
energy pyramid
a triangular diagram that shows an ecosystem’s loss of energy, which results as energy passes through the ecosystem’s food chain; each row in the pyramid represents a trophic (feeding) level in an ecosystem, and the area of a row represents the energy stored in that trophic level
biodiversity
the number and variety of organisms in a given area during a specific period of time
disturbance
in ecology, an event that changes a community by removing or destroying organisms or by altering resource availability
succession
the replacement of one type of community by another at a single location over a period of time
habitat destruction
the ruin or alteration of a place inhabited by an ecological community
