Ecology Vocabulary Review

Get out vocab sheet.

Ecology: The study of how living things interact with nature

Ecosystems

• The study of how living things interact with nature

Abiotic

Non Living parts of the environment

Biotic

The living parts of the environment

Symbiosis

A relationship where two different species live closely and interact often.

Mutualism

A type of symbiosis is when two species help each other.

Commensalism

A type of symbiosis when one species benefits from another but the second species isn’t affected

Parasitism

A type of relationship where one organism benefits while harming the other organism.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of organisms of a species an ecosystem can hold

Limiting Factor

The scarcest resource or the one that runs out first that causes a population to decline.

Adaptation

A trait that helps an organism survive.

Predator

An organism that hunts others for food

Prey

An organism that is hunted for food

Coevolution

When a relationship between two species causes them both to adapt.

Population

All of the members of a species in an area

Ecosystem

A community of organisms and their environment.

Biosphere

All of the living space on earth.

Community

All of the different organisms of different groups in an area

Competition

When two organisms fight over the same resources