Ecosystems

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Community

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An interacting group of various species in a common location.

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Ecosystem

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A community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.

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Habitat

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Place where an organism or a biological population normally lives or occurs.

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Biodiversity

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It is the variety within and between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems within which they live and interact.

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Succesion

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The process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time.

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Climate

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the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years.

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Producer

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An autotrophic organism capable of producing complex organic compounds from simple inorganic molecules through the process of photosynthesis (using light energy) or through chemosynthesis (using chemical energy).

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Consumer

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An organism that generally obtains food by feeding on other organisms or organic matter due to lack of the ability to manufacture own food from inorganic sources; aheterotroph.

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Decomposer

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) An organism whose ecological function involves the recycling of nutrients by performing the natural process of decomposition as it feeds on dead or decaying organisms.

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Trophic Level

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A position in a food chain or Ecological Pyramid occupied by a group of organisms with similar feeding mode.

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Energy Pyramid

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A graphical model of energy flow in a community. The different levels represent different groups of organisms that might compose a food chain.

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Biome

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A large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat

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Population

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a particular section, group, or type of people or animals living in an area or country.

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Carrying Capacity

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the number of people, other living organisms, or crops that a region can support without environmental degradation.

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Predation

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the preying of one animal on others.

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Coevolution

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the influence of closely associated species on each other in their evolution.

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Parasitism

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a non-mutual symbiotic relationship between species, where one species, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host.

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Symbiosis

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interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.

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Mutualism

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interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.

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Commensalism

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a relationship between individuals of two species in which one species obtains food or other benefits from the other without either harming or benefiting the latter.

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Niche

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The specific area where an organism inhabits.

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Fundamental Niche

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The full range of environmental conditions and resources an organism can possibly occupy and use, especially when limiting factors are absent in its habitat.

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Realized Niche

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The part of fundamental niche that an organism occupies as a result of limiting factors present in its habitat.

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Competitive Exclusion

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The principle that when two species compete for the same critical resources within an environment, one of them will eventually outcompete and displace the other.

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Keystone Species

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A species whose presence and role within an ecosystem has a disproportionate effect on other organisms within the system.