Glencoe Biology - Chapter 2 The Principles of Ecology

Any nonliving factor in an organism's environment, such as soil, water, temperature and light availability.

Organism that captures energy from sunlight or inorganic substances to produce its own food; provides the foundation of the food supply for other organisms; also called a producer.

Exchange of matter through the biosphere involving living organisms, chemical processes and geological processes.

All the interacting populations of different species that live in the same geographic location at the same time.

Total mass of living matter at each trophic level.

Large group of ecosystems that share the same climate and have similar types of communities.

Relatively thin layer of Earth and its atmosphere that supports life

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Any living factor in an organism's environment

Heterotroph that preys on other heterotrophs.

Symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other organism is neither helped nor harmed.

Process in which fixed nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere

Heterotroph that decomposes organic material and returns the nutrients to soil, air, and water, making the nutrients available to other organisms.

Scientific study of all the interrelationships between organisms and their environment.