Ecosystems Vocab

3. competition between members of the same species
5. A group of organisms of the same species that live in the same geographic area at the same time
7. the division of limited resources by species to help avoid competition in an ecological niche
14. Process by which matter cycles from the living world to the nonliving physical environment and back again. Examples of biogeochemical cycles include the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, phosphorus cycle, and sulfur cycle
15. The successive series of organisms through which energy flows in an ecosystem. Each organism in the series eats or decomposes the preceding organism in the chain
16. An intimate relationship between two or more organisms of different species
17. A symbiotic relationship in which both partners benefit from the association
19. nonliving factors
20. A type of symbiosis in which one organism benefits and the other one is neither harmed nor helped
21. an organism that uses the energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy
22. A complex interconnection of all the food chains in an ecosystem

1. The interaction among organisms that vie for the same resources in an ecosystem (such as food, living space, or other resources)
2. A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
4. Each level in a food chain. All producers belong to the first trophic level, all herbivores belong to the second trophic level, and so on
5. A symbiotic relationship in which one member (the parasite) benefits and the other (the host) is adversely affected
6. A chemical reaction that breaks down compounds into simpler products.
8. The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) to ammonia (NH₃) by nitrogen fixing bacteria and cyanobacteria; part of the nitrogen cycle
9. The interacting system of biotic and abitoic factors in an area
10. competition between members of different species
11. The biological process that captures light energy and transforms it into the chemical energy of organic molecules (such as glucose), which are manufactured from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis is performed by plants, algae, and several kinds of bacteria.
12. A process in which the energy of organic molecules is released within cells
13. Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
18. living factors
20. Different species living together at the same time in a habitat