Ecology Vocabulary

2. model that shows the amount of energy available at each feeding level in ecosystems.
4. features of the environment that are alive or were alive.
5. model that shows the complex feeding relationships among organisms in a community
9. movement of soil from one place to another.
10. in an ecosystem, refers to the unique ways an organism survives, obtain food and shelter, and avoiding danger.
12. precipitation with a pH below 5.6 (acidic) - which occurs when air pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels react with water in the atmosphere to form strong acids.
14. nonliving, physical features of the environment, including air, water , sunlight, soil, temperature, and climate.
15. the study of interactions that take place among organisms and their environment.
16. substances that contaminate any part of the environment.
18. all the populations of different species that living in an ecosystem.
19. organisms that cannot create energy-rich molecules but obtain its food by eating other organisms.
20. all of the living organisms that live in an area and the nonliving features of their environment.

1. heat-trapping feature of the atmosphere that keeps Earth warm enough to support life.
3. conservation method that is a form of reuse and requires changing or reprocessing an item or natural resource.
6. thinning of Earth’s ozone layer caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) leaking into the air and reacting chemically with ozone, breaking the ozone molecules apart.
7. all of the organisms that belong to the same species living in a community.
8. waste materials, such as pesticides and leftover paints, that are harmful to human health or poisonous to living organisms.
11. place where an organism lives and that provides the types of food, shelter, moisture, and temperature needed for survival.
13. species that break down rock and build up decaying plant material so that other plants can grow; first organisms to grow in new or disturbed areas.
16. organisms, such as a green plant or algae, that uses an outside source of energy like the sun to create energy-rich food molecules.
17. natural, gradual changes in the types of species that live in an area; can be primary or secondary species.