Ecology

Ms. Taylor (United States of America)
15 words 243 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. biodiversity
    the variety of plant and animal life in a habitat
    Economic growth is causing a number of global environmental problems, ranging from climate change to biodiversity loss.
  2. biome
    major ecological community with distinct climate and flora
    We live in the temperate forest biome.
  3. 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.
  4. carnivore
    a terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating mammal
    It is illegal to kill large carnivores such as lions and tigers.
  5. omnivore
    an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances
    Gorillas are omnivores, meaning they’ll eat just about anything — including tree bark.
  6. 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.
  7. ecosystem
    organisms interacting with their physical environment
    An ice-free ocean could affect weather patterns, sea conditions, and ecosystem dynamics and invite increases in shipping, tourism, energy extraction, and mining.
  8. decompose
    break down
    When plants and animals die, bacteria will decompose their bodies.
  9. autotroph
    an organism capable of synthesizing its own food
    An autotroph can make food in the form of sugars out of carbon dioxide and energy from the sun.
  10. heterotroph
    an organism that cannot make its own food supply
    A heterotroph cannot make its own food.
  11. parasite
    an animal or plant that lives in or on a host
    The tick is a parasite because it is the only one that benefits from its relationship with the host.
  12. mutualism
    the relation between two organisms that benefit each other
    The relationship between bees and flowers is an example of mutualism.
  13. commensalism
    when one organism benefits from another without damaging it
    Because the whale is not harmed by barnacles, their relationship is one of commensalism.
  14. environment
    the area in which something exists or lives
  15. producer
    someone who manufactures something
Created on Sun Sep 08 17:26:39 EDT 2013 (updated Mon Sep 09 12:49:47 EDT 2013)

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