Ecology - Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Introductory

If you can't camouflage your enthusiasm for ecology, you'll want to learn this list about interdependent relationships in ecosystems. Review food chains and food webs, competition and cooperation, symbiosis and parasitism, and much more. This vocabulary list is a great resource!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. adaptation
    the process of adjusting or conforming to new conditions
  2. biome
    major ecological community with distinct climate and flora
  3. biosphere
    the regions of the Earth where living organisms exist
  4. camouflage
    exploit the natural surroundings to disguise something
  5. carnivore
    a terrestrial or aquatic flesh-eating mammal
  6. commensalism
    when one organism benefits from another without damaging it
  7. community
    group of interdependent organisms living in the same region
  8. competition
    the act of contending with others for rewards or resources
  9. cooperation
    the practice of working together on a common enterprise
  10. disease
    an impairment of health
  11. ecology
    the environment as it relates to living organisms
  12. ecosystem
    organisms interacting with their physical environment
  13. emigration
    moving from one place in order to settle in another
  14. food chain
    community of organisms where each member is eaten by another
  15. food web
    community of organisms with several interrelated food chains
  16. herbivore
    any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants
  17. host
    an animal or plant that nourishes and supports a parasite
  18. immigration
    movement of people into a country or area
  19. interdependent
    mutually reliant
  20. migration
    the periodic passage of groups of animals
  21. mimicry
    the resemblance of an animal species to another species
  22. mutualism
    the relation between two organisms that benefit each other
  23. niche
    status or place of an organism within its environment
  24. omnivore
    an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances
  25. organism
    a living thing that can act or function independently
  26. parasite
    an animal or plant that lives in or on a host
  27. parasitism
    when one organism benefits from another by causing damage
  28. pollination
    transfer of the fine spores that contain male gametes
  29. population
    a group of organisms of the same species inhabiting an area
  30. predator
    any animal that lives by preying on other animals
  31. prey
    animal hunted or caught for food
  32. resilience
    an occurrence of rebounding or springing back
  33. resource
    a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
  34. species
    taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
  35. survival
    the state of remaining alive
  36. sustainability
    the capacity of being prolonged
  37. symbiosis
    the relation between two interdependent species of organisms
Created on Thu Feb 09 10:51:52 EST 2017 (updated Thu Apr 06 11:40:52 EDT 2017)

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