| Symbiosis * |
Relationship between (different) species in which at least one benefits |
| Pollution |
The harmful addition to the environment (by humans) |
| Competition * |
When 2 or more organisms fight for a resource that is in short supply. |
| Contest Competition * |
An active physical confrontation between 2 organisms in which only one wins the resource |
| Predation * |
The act of killing and eating another animal (or organism) for food. |
| Predator |
An animal (or organism) which kills and eats an animal (or organism or prey) |
| Scramble competition * |
A confrontation which results in each organism getting some of the resource |
| Abiotic Factor |
A non- living factor |
| Biosphere |
Part(s) of earth that supports life |
| Biotic Factor |
Living (organism's influence on another organism) |
| Carnivore |
An animal that feeds on animals only |
| Climatic Factor |
Factors relating to long term weather conditions [which affects the distribution of organisms in an ecosystem] |
| Conservation |
The wise management of the environment or organisms |
| Decomposition |
The decaying of a dead organism |
| Denitrification |
The conversion of nitrates into atmospheric nitrogen |
| Ecology |
Study of the interaction between organisms themselves and their environment. |
| Ecosystem |
Organisms and their (interactions with) environment |
| Edaphic Factor |
Factors relating to the soil [which affects the distribution of organisms in a (terrestrial) ecosystem] |
| Food Web |
Interconnected food chains or more than one species at each trophic level |
| Grazing Food Chain |
Feeding relationship between organisms in which energy is transferred |
| Habitat |
(Place) where a species (or an organism) lives |
| Herbivore |
An animal that feeds on plants only |
| Niche |
The functional role of an organism (in an ecosystem) |
| Nitrification |
The process of converting ammonia into nitrites and/or nitrites to nitrates |
| Nitrogen fixing |
The conversion of nitrogen into nitrates |
| Omnivore |
An animal that eats both animals and plants |
| Parasitism |
An organism which lives in or on another causing it harm |
| Population |
The numbers of a particular species [in a particular ecosystem] |
| Prey * |
The animal hunted and killed by its predator |
| Primary Consumer |
An organism which feeds on the primary producer |
| Producer |
An organism which makes its own food |
| Pyramid of Numbers |
The amount of organisms at each trophic level |
| Qualitative survey |
A survey which indicates if a species is present or not |
| Quantitative survey |
A survey which records or estimates the numbers of a species (in a particular ecosystem) |
| Secondary Consumer |
An organism which feeds on the primary consumer |
| Tertiary Consumer |
An organism which feeds on the secondary consumer |
| Trophic Level |
The position of an organism in a food chain |