Biology

total weight of living material at each trophic level

organism, such as fungus or bacteria, that breaks down and absorbs nutrients from dead organisms

organism that consumes another organism, absorbing its tissue through the consumption

organism that is consumed by another organism

symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits at the expense of another, usually another species

organism that harbors a parasite

symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefitted

symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit

growth that starts slow, increases sharply indefinitely

growth that starts slow, increases sharply, slows, then tapers off to a specific level

the number of organisms of one species that an environment can support indefinitely

phenomenon that occurs when certain gases in the atmosphere trap infrared radiation

group of organisms all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time

pattern of any process or related processes which affect growth or change within a population

process of analyzing an entire population based on a representative sample of that population

represents the total available energy at each trophic level

represents the quantity of organisms consumed at each trophic level by the level above it

represents the total dry weight of living material available at each trophic level

continuous movement of a chemical element or molecule on, above and below the surface of the Earth

continuous movement of carbon on, above and below the surface of the Earth

continuous movement of nitrogen on, above and below the surface of the Earth

continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth

scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments

interactions among populations in a community

orderly, natural changes and species replacements that take place in communities of an ecosystem over time

endpoint stage of succession in which all species present reproduce in proportion to one another and no further change occurs

role or position a species has in its environment

place where an organism lives out its life

collection of several interacting populations in a certain area at a certain time

portion of Earth that supports life

nonliving parts of an organism's environment

all the living organisms that inhabit an environment

organisms that use energy from the sun or energy stored in chemical compounds to manufacture their own nutrients

organisms that cannot make their own food and must feed on other organisms for energy and nutrients

heterotroph that feeds only on plants

heterotroph that eats only other heterotrophs

heterotroph that feeds on both plants and other heterotrophs

heterotroph does not kill for food, but feeds on the remains of animals that have already died

chemical that an organism needs in order to live and grow

movement of conserved energy throughout an ecosystem

movement of conserved matter throughout an ecosystem

simple model that shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem (single path)

model that shows all possible feeding relationships at each trophic level in a community

organism that represents a feeding step in the movement of energy and materials through an ecosystem