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Chapter 4, 5, and 6
Biologyh
33
Biology
9th Grade
04/15/2013

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Term
community
Definition
a group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other
Term
ecosystem
Definition
a community of organisms and their abiotic environment
Term
habitat
Definition
the place where an organism usually lives
Term
biodiversity
Definition
the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem
Term
succession
Definition
the replacement of one type of community by another at a single location over a period of time
Term
Climate
Definition
the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
Term
biome
Definition
a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities
Term
population
Definition
a group of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area
Term
carrying capacity
Definition
the largest population that an environment can support at any given time
Term
producer
Definition
an organism that can make organic molecules from inorganic molecules; a photosynthetic or chemosynthetic autotroph that serves as the basic food source in an ecosystem
Term
consumer
Definition
an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter instead of producing its own nutrients or obtaining nutrients from inorganic sources
Term
decomposer
Definition
an organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms; examples include bacteria and fungi
Term
trophic level
Definition
one of the steps in a food chain or food pyramid; examples include producers and primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers
Term
energy pyramid
Definition
a triangular diagram that shows an ecosystem's loss of energy, which results as energy passes through the ecosystem's food chain; each row in the pyramid represents a trophic (feeding) level in an ecosystem, and the area of a row represents the energy stored in that trophic level v
Term
carbon cycle
Definition
the movement of carbon from the nonliving environment into living things and back
Term
respiration
Definition
the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between living cells and their environment; includes breathing and cellular respiration
Term
nitrogen cycle
Definition
the cycling of nitrogen between organisms, soil, water, and the atmosphere
Term
phosphorus cycle
Definition
the cyclic movement of phosphorus in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment
Term
niche
Definition
the unique position occupied by a species, both in terms of its physical use of its habitat and its function within an ecological community
Term
fundamental niche
Definition
the largest ecological niche where an organism or species can live without competition
Term
realized niche
Definition
the range of resources that a species uses, the conditions that the species can tolerate, and the functional roles that the species plays as a result of competition in the species' fundamental niche
Term
competitive exclusion
Definition
the exclusion of one species by another due to competition
Term
keystone species
Definition
a species that is critical to the functioning of the ecosystem in which it lives because it affects the survival and abundance of many other species in its community
Term
fossil fuel
Definition
a nonrenewable energy resource formed from the remains of organisms that lived long ago; examples include oil, coal, and natural gas
Term
acid rain
Definition
precipitation that has a pH below normal and has an unusually high concentration of sulfuric or nitric acids, often as a result of chemical pollution of the air from sources such as automobile exhausts and the burning of fossil fuels
Term
global warming
Definition
a gradual increase in average global temperature
Term
greenhouse effect
Definition
the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in the air absorb and reradiate infrared radiation
Term
erosion
Definition
a process in which the materials of Earth's surface are loosened, dissolved, or worn away and transported from one place to another by a natural agent, such as wind, water, ice, or gravity
Term
deforestation
Definition
the process of clearing forests
Term
biodiversity
Definition
the variety of organisms in a given area, the genetic variation within a population, the variety of species in a community, or the variety of communities in an ecosystem
Term
extinction
Definition
the death of every member of a species
Term
recycling
Definition
the process of recovering valuable or useful materials from waste or scrap; the process of reusing some items
Term
ecotourism
Definition
a form of tourism that supports the conservation and sustainable development of ecologically unique areas
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