Symbiosis
Symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives on or inside another and harms it
parasitism
Network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem, includes multiple food chains
food web
Physical or non-living factor contributing to an ecosystem
abiotic
the layer of the Earth that contains all living organisms; where all the biotic and abiotic components interact within an area at once to sustain life.
biosphere
Direct interaction in which one organism captures and consumes another organism
predation
any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two biological organisms of different species
symbiosis
Series of steps in a single path of an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
food chain
All living parts of an ecosystem
biotic
Different populations that live together in a defined area
community
Interaction between organisms or species in which both require a resource that is in limited supply.
Symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit from the interaction
Organism that relies on others for its energy and food supply; also known as heterotroph
consumer
The role an organism plays in a community. This encompasses both the physical and environmental conditions it requires (like temperature or terrain) and the interactions it has with other species (like predation or competition)
niche
All the organisms that live in a place together with their nonliving environment
ecosystem
Interaction in which one animal (the herbivore) feeds on producers (such as plants)
Symbiotic relationship in which one organism is harmed while the other is unaffected (not positive or negative)
amensalism
Organisms able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own “food” from inorganic compounds, also called a producer
autotroph
Area where organisms live, eat, and mate including the biotic and abiotic factors that affect it.
habitat
A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area
population
An organism that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area, thus lack natural predators. They cause extensive damage to the stability of the ecosystem
invasive species
Symbiotic relationship in which one organisms benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed
commensalism
This is stored in the chemical bonds of molecules and released when those bonds are broken. It allows organisms to carry out metabolic functions.
Energy
Largest number of individuals of a particular species that a particular environment can support
carrying capacity
A total of the variety of an organisms in the biosphere
biodiversity
Ecological phenomenon triggered by the addition or removal of top predators and involving reciprocal changes in the relative populations of predator and prey through a food chain, which often results in dramatic changes in ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling
trophic cascade