Ecology/animal Behavior Hilberg

Front 1

biosphere

Back 1

part of the earth that supports living organisms

Front 2

ecology

Back 2

study of the interactions between living and nonliving factors in the environment

Front 3

abiotic factors

Back 3

nonliving, physical features

Front 4

biotic factors

Back 4

living organisms

Front 5

populations

Back 5

individual organisms of the same species that live in the same place and can produce young

Front 6

ecosystem

Back 6

biotic community and abiotic factors

Front 7

population density

Back 7

the number of individuals per unit of living space

Front 8

limiting factor

Back 8

any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the number of individuals in a population

Front 9

carrying capacity

Back 9

the largest number of individuals that an environment can support and maintain over time

Front 10

biotic potential

Back 10

the number of individuals each female of a population can produce under the best possible conditions

Front 11

predator

Back 11

the feeding of one organism on another

Front 12

symbiosis

Back 12

any close relationship between two or more different species

Front 13

mutualism

Back 13

a symbiotic relationship that benefits both species

Front 14

commensalism

Back 14

symbiotic relationship that benefits one partner but does not help or hurt the other partner

Front 15

parasitism

Back 15

symbiotic relationship that benefits the parasite and does definite harm to the parasite's host

Front 16

habitat

Back 16

physical location where an organism lives

Front 17

niche

Back 17

role of an organism in an ecosystem

Front 18

producers

Back 18

use the sun's energy to make food

Front 19

consumers

Back 19

obtain energy by eating producers or consumers

Front 20

decomposers

Back 20

break down the dead bodies to obtain energy

Front 21

food chain

Back 21

a simple way of showing how food passes from one organism to another

Front 22

food web

Back 22

overlapping food chains

Front 23

energy pyramid

Back 23

compares the energy available at each level of the food chain

Front 24

competition

Back 24

a struggle between organisms for the limited resources in an environment

Front 25

social hierarchy

Back 25

use of aggression to form a social order where higher level organisms have better access to food, mates, nests, etc...

Front 26

territorial

Back 26

defense of an area from other members of the same species

Front 27

adaptation

Back 27

characteristic of an organim that makes it better able to survive in its environment

Front 28

cooperation

Back 28

a population of oranisms working together for survival

Front 29

imprinting

Back 29

a social attachment to another organism soon after birth or hatching

Front 30

mimicry

Back 30

close outward resemblance of an animal or plant to its surroundings or to some other animal or plant

Front 31

courtship

Back 31

behaviors that help males and females of a species to recognize each other and prepare for mating

Front 32

aggression

Back 32

a forceful act used to dominate or control another animal

Front 33

What are 4 important examples of abiotic factors?

Back 33

water, soil, light, temperature

Front 34

What mixture makes up soil?

Back 34

clay, sand, hummus

Front 35

What is hummus?

Back 35

decayed remains of dead organisms

Front 36

Community

Back 36

Groups of different populations that interact with each other in a given area