Principles of Ecology

Mrs. mendenhall (United States of America)
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ecology
    study of the relations of organisms to their environment
    An invasive grass species has sparked the interest of researchers studying the ecology of wildfires in the western United States.
  2. biosphere
    the regions of the Earth where living organisms exist
    Anything that destroys habitat — mining, pollution, deforestation and global warming — disrupts the biosphere. New York Times (Jul 28, 2012)
  3. biotic
    of or relating to living organisms
  4. population
    a group of organisms of the same species inhabiting an area
    Small, fragmented populations in certain regions could require additional attention to ensure their survival. Scientific American (Apr 22, 2013)
  5. community
    group of interdependent organisms living in the same region
  6. ecosystem
    organisms interacting with their physical environment
    Salt marshes are among the most ecologically productive and diverse ecosystems in the United States. Scientific American (Mar 12, 2013)
  7. biome
    major ecological community with distinct climate and flora
    Biotic communities of the northern desert shrub biome in Western Utah. Durrant, Stephen D.
  8. habitat
    the type of environment in which an organism normally lives
    Water voles numbers have dropped by around 90 per cent in the past few decades due to habitat loss and minks preying on them.
  9. niche
    status or place of an organism within its environment
    Find a less crowded niche, and carve out a specialty.
  10. predation
    the act of preying by an animal that kills and eats the prey
    Calcified shells provide critical protection against predation and desiccation in sessile marine animals such as oysters. Nature (Oct 3, 2012)
  11. symbiosis
    the relation between two interdependent species of organisms
    This turned out to be a perfect symbiosis of game and platform. New York Times (Apr 4, 2012)
  12. mutualism
    the relation between two organisms that benefit each other
  13. commensalism
    when one organism benefits from another without damaging it
    Though no crab, perhaps, is truly parasitic, some live in relations of “commensalism” with other animals. Various
  14. parasitism
    when one organism benefits from another by causing damage
    They have been extensively studied in connection with the parasitism of certain fungous diseases which cause the soft rots of fruits and vegetables. Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred
  15. autotroph
    an organism capable of synthesizing its own food
  16. heterotroph
    an organism that cannot make its own food supply
  17. herbivore
    any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants
    Many herbivores play an important role in maintaining plant life by eating leaves and dispersing seeds. BBC (Sep 6, 2012)
  18. carnivore
    a terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating mammal
    Human-lion conflict occurs often in more rural settings, and people are advised to not kill carnivores or they will face prosecution.
  19. omnivore
    an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances
    Gorillas are omnivores, meaning they’ll eat just about anything — including tree bark.
  20. detritus
    the remains of something that has been destroyed or finished
    Even as villagers stared out at an ocean of detritus littered by the tsunami, cherry blossoms, the harbinger of spring, bloomed.
  21. trophic
    of or relating to nutrition or feeding
    "Hence, moving offshore will mask inshore declines in mean trophic levels." Scientific American (Jan 4, 2011)
  22. food chain
    community of organisms where each member is eaten by another
    Because some persistent compounds accumulate at the top of the food chain, humans can be exposed to POPs by eating meat and fish. Scientific American (Apr 11, 2013)
  23. food web
    community of organisms with several interrelated food chains
    Persistent organic pollutants magnify every step up a food web to top predators such as dolphins, seals and sea lions. Scientific American (Mar 14, 2013)
  24. biomass
    the total amount of living matter in a given unit area
    We are talking nine times the total biomass of the Earth. Scientific American (Feb 7, 2013)
  25. matter
    that which has mass and occupies space
    Sure enough, Shanghai’s level of fine particulate matter under 2.5 microns registered a hazardous 267 on Wednesday.
  26. nutrient
    any substance that can be metabolized to give energy
    Microbes are usually detected in laboratories by feeding nutrients to suspected samples so they grow and expend.
  27. nitrogen fixation
    the assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by soil bacteria and its release for plant use on the death of the bacteria
    The excess phosphorus may signal that conditions are ripe for nitrogen fixation. New York Times (Apr 12, 2011)
Created on Wed Apr 24 11:22:59 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Apr 24 11:54:25 EDT 2013)

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