Vocabulary
Ecologists refer to an organism's environment or home as its __.
Habitat
Bacteria and fungi that secrete enzymes that break things down into simpler molecules.
Decomposers
If we're starting at the North Pole, what is the first biome we would encounter?
Arctic Tundra
A relationship where both organisms benefit.
Mutualism
This process within the water cycle occurs when a liquid turns into a gas.
Evaporation
Thin layer of the earth's surface in which life exists.
Biosphere
There are two types of autotrophs: this type, such as plants and algae, that obtain energy from sunlight.
Photoautotrophs
This type of aquatic biome ocurs where nutrient-rich freshwater from rivers and streams meets and mixes with seawater.
Estuary
When two organisms are vying for the same resource, they are said to have what kind of relationship?
Competition
This term is used to refer to the combination of a region's climax vegetation and its animal populations.
Climax Community
Nonliving things that affect the carrying capacities of various ecosystems are known as __.
Abiotic Factors
A model used by ecologists that show all possible feeding relationships.
Food Web
Temperate Decidious Forest
Primary consumers can be found at what trophic level?
Second
A hive of bees in a tree would highlight what level of ecology.
Popoulation
The number and variety of species living within an ecosystem.
Biodiversity
A classification that describes an organism's feeding relationship to other organisms in its ecosystem.
Trophic Level
The tundra is often highlighted by an indefinitely frozen layer of soil.
Permafrost
A special relationship in which one organism is benefited and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Commensalism
The first organisms to colonize a disturned ecosystem.
Pioneer Species
A range of values that is needed for an organism's survival.
Tolerance Range
The funtion or "occupation" of a living thing.
This biome is found near the equator in America, Africa, and Asia and has a year-round growing season.
Tropical Rainforest
A bobcat and the plants that indirectly share its habitat highlight what kind of special relationship?
Neutralism
This kind of ecological succession starts with completely barren ground.
Primary Succession