Plant Ecology

5. The variety and abundance of different species in a community.
8. The development of life in an area with no previous organisms or soil.
9. A defensive compound produced by plants in response to pathogens or stress.
10. Plants that complete their life cycle in one growing season.
12. Plants that live and reproduce for more than two years.
15. The living parts of an ecosystem (e.g., plants, animals, fungi).
16. A community of organisms and their physical environment functioning together.

1. The non-living parts of an environment (e.g., sunlight, water, temperature).
2. Organisms that break down dead material and recycle nutrients (e.g., fungi, bacteria).
3. The regrowth of life in an area where a disturbance removed vegetation but left soil intact.
4. The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
6. A large geographic area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life (e.g., desert, tundra).
7. Plants that complete their life cycle in two years.
9. A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area.
11. The process by which nitrogen moves through the environment and living things.
13. The release of chemicals by a plant that inhibit the growth of nearby plants.
14. A measure of site productivity, usually based on tree height at a specific age.