Ecology Vocab

Across

2. that affects all populations in similar ways, regardless of the population density
4. single essential nutrient that limits productivity in an ecosystem
6. largest number of individuals of a particular species that a particular environment can support
8. a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
10. organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter
12. organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer
14. day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, and other factors
16. assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area
19. network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among the various organisms in an ecosystem
20. all the organisms that live in a place, together with their nonliving environment
21. symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship
23. animal that consumes the carcasses of other animals
24. symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed
26. organism that obtains energy by eating only plants
27. relationship in which two species live close together
28. organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter
30. classification comprising related organisms that share common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding
31. process used by plants and other autotrophs to capture light energy and use it to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starches
32. full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions
34. each step in a food chain or food web
35. geographical area within which that species can be found
36. scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
38. how the individuals are distributed, or spread throughout their habitat.
39. factor that causes population growth to decrease
40. area where an organism lives including the biotic and abiotic factors that affect it
41. interaction in which one organism (the predator) captures and feeds on another organism (the prey)
43. organism that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals
44. a group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.

Down

1. number of individuals per unit area
3. a symbiotic relationship in which one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it
5. pattern in which a population’s growth slows and then stops following a period of exponential growth
7. ability of an organism to survive and reproduce under circumstances that differ from their optimal conditions
9. that depends on population density
11. any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact
13. interaction in which one animal (the herbivore) feeds on producers (such as plants)
15. pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate
17. process in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates
18. principle that states that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time
22. part of Earth in which life exists including land, water, and air or atmosphere
25. a series of steps in an ecosystem in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
26. organism that obtains food by consuming other living things; also called a consumer
29. illustration of the relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a given food chain or food web
33. physical, or nonliving, factor that shapes an ecosystem
37. average year-to-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in an area over a long period of time
42. organism that obtains energy by eating animals