Ecology and Ecosystems

Commensalism

• A relationship where both organisms benefit.

• A relationship where one organism benefits and the other is not affected.

• A relationship where both organisms are harmed.

• A relationship where one organism harms the other.

Mutualism

• Symbiosis that is beneficial to both organisms involved.

• A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

• A type of interaction where both organisms are harmed.

• A relationship that has no effect on either organism.

Community

• A group of different organisms or species living together in a specified habitat.

• A single species living in isolation.

• A collection of non-living things in an area.

• A group of organisms that are all the same species.

Cooperation

• The process of working together for a mutual benefit

• A method of competing against others

• A strategy for individual success

• A form of isolationism

Food Chain

• A hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.

• A random collection of plants and animals in an ecosystem.

• A list of all the food items consumed by a single organism.

• A diagram showing the energy flow in a food web.

Ecosystem

• All of the biotic and abiotic factors within the environment

• Only the living organisms in a habitat

• The physical landscape of an area

• The climate conditions affecting a region

Commensalism

• A relationship between two organisms where one benefits and the other is harmed.

• A relationship between two organisms where both benefit.

• A relationship between two organisms where one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

• A relationship between two organisms where both are harmed.

Population

• A group of the same species living in the same habitat

• A collection of different species in an ecosystem

• The total number of individuals in a specific area

• A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Biosphere

• Earth - The largest level within the environment

• The layer of gases surrounding the planet

• The region of the Earth where life exists

• The part of the Earth that is covered by water

Autotrophs

• Organisms that produce their own food.

• Organisms that consume other organisms for energy.

• Organisms that decompose organic material.

• Organisms that rely on sunlight for energy.