EC 1
Study of interactions of living organisms with one another and with their physical environment.
Ecology
The physical, or non-living aspects of a habitat.
Abiotic
A chemical process that converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, which is absorbed by organisms.
Nitrogen Fixation
A biogeochemical process that describes how carbon atoms move between the Earth's atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere.
Carbon cycle
Organism that is both herbivore and carnivore.
Omnivore
The many different species that live together in a habitat.
Community
The number of species living within an ecosystem.
Biodiversity
The process by which food is made by bacteria or other living things using chemicals as the energy source.
Chemosynthesis
A biogeochemical process that moves nitrogen between the atmosphere, soil, and living organisms, and back into the atmosphere.
Nitrogen cycle
Organisms obtain energy from organic waste and dead bodies, release nutrients back into environment (decomposers: worms, bacteria, fungi)
Detrivore
A community and all of the physical aspects of its habitat (soil, air, water, weather).
Ecosystem
Organisms that first capture energy and that make their own food (plants).
Producer
The path of energy through the trophic levels of an ecosystem.
Food chain
A biogeochemical process that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
Phosphorus Cycle
A level or a position in a food chain, a food web, or an ecological pyramid.
Trophic level
A major biological community that occurs over a large area of land.
Biome
Organisms that make their own food, producers.
Autotroph
Interconnected group of food chains.
Food web
The movement and transformation of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms, the atmosphere, and the Earth's crust.
Biogeochemical Cycle
A diagram that shows the flow of energy through an ecosystem's trophic levels.
Energy Pyramid
The living organisms of a habitat.
Biotic
Organisms that consume producers for food, consumers
Heterotroph
A complex system that shows how water moves continuously between the Earth and atmosphere.
Water cycle
An animal or plant whose food and energy requirements are met by the consumption of animal tissue.
Carnivore
Renewable energy from plants and animals.
Biomass