Ecology Vocabulary

the study of living things and their environments

everything that surrounds a living thing

to act upon eachother

all populations that live in a certain place

living and nonliving things in an environment, together with their interactions

group of the same kind of organism living in a certain place

place where an organism lives

organism's role, or job, in its habitat

largest amount of a population that can be supported by an area

conditions in the environment that put limits on where an organism can live

area where a type of animal or plant population is found

something that happens over and over in the same way

bacteria that can use nitrogen in soil to make nitrogen compounds

organisms that obtain food by eating other organisms

organism that breaks down the wastes or remains of other organisms

organism that makes its own food

animal that eats only dead organisms

way of showing how energy moves through a food chain

a chain of organisms in which each link feeds on the one ahead and is eaten by the one behind

way of showing how food chains are related

last community in a succession

gradual change in organisms that occurs when the environment changes

large region of the earth with particular plant and animal communities

overall weather in an area over a long period of time

wise use of natural resources

materials found in nature that are used by living things

materials found in nature that CANNOT be renewed or replaced

natural resouces that CAN be renewed or replaced

kinds of living things that are in danger of dying out

release of harmful materials into the environment

thin zone of the earth that supports all life

animal that hunts and eats other animals

animal hunted or caught for food

basic unit of structure and function in living things

any living thing

reaction to a change

trait of a living thing that helps it live in its environment

Everything that surrounds a living thing

process of breaking down food so that it can be used by living things

process of getting rid of wastes

process of taking in food

process of getting energy from food

process of moving nutrients and wastes in a living thing

the ability of a living thing to keep conditions inside its body constant

living

non-living