Vocab
Ecological succession
change in the community over time as organisms compete and modify their environment
Photic zone
upper layer in which light can penetrate
Emergent plants
plants that are rooted underwater but lift their stems above the water (cattails, for example)
Population
a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area
Ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Littoral zone
shallow, shoreline area
Aphotic zone
layer in which light does not penetrate
Herbivore
eats plants (primary consumer)
habitat
the natural environment where a plant, animal, or other organism lives and finds all the necessary resources for survival
Community
a group of living things in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common
Limnetic zone
open water zone with light penetration
Zooplankton
tiny consumers; “animal plankton”
Carnivore
eats animals
Ex: wolf
Scavenger
an animal that feeds on carrion, dead plant material, or refuse
Profundal zone
deep water with little or no light
Phytoplankton
tiny organisms (algae) that are producers
Predator
feed on live animals
Abiotic
physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms
Thermocline
zone at which temperature changes rapidly
Detritus
any organic debris that sinks to the bottom (leaves, dead animals, etc.)
Decomposer
break down dead organisms and releases nutrients to ecosystem
Niche
the role and position an organism occupies within an ecosystem