Ecology Vocabulary

3. organism that obtains food by consuming other living things
4. a relationship between two species in which both species benefits
10. organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight and use it to produce its own food
14. part of earth in which life exists
15. a common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited resource
17. the gradual and orderly process of change in an ecosystem
18. __ capacity: largest number of individuals that an environment can support
19. relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed
20. (two words) all of the complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships in an ecosystem
21. (two words) a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
22. __ factor: any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, or distribution of organisms

1. a relationship between tow organisms in which one benefits and the other is unaffected
2. destruction of forests
5. __ factors: physical, or nonliving factor that shapes an ecosystem
6. total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level
7. (two words) a position in a food chain or ecological pyramid
8. scientific study of interactions among organisms and between their environment
9. ability to maintain a balance in a region or system
11. __ factors: any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact
12. interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism
13. a close relationship between two organisms in which at least one of the organisms benefits
16. all the organisms that live in a place with their abiotic environment