Ecology Glossary
Adaptations features which allow a species to survive and reproduce
Behavioural adaptations related to how the organism behaves
Biological factors the influence of other living things on a species
Carnivores animals which eats only other animals for food (e.g. lion)
Community all the populations living in one location
Competitors two individuals or species require the same resources
Consumers animals which eat other organisms (plants or animals) for food
Decomposers organisms which break down dead bodies for food
Ecology study of relationships between organisms and the environment
Ecosystem a living community and its physical environment
Enzymes biological catalyst that speed up chemical reactions in organisms
Food chain a chain of organisms in which each organism is eaten by the next in the chain
Food web the combination of a number of food chains which shows the feeding relationships between the organisms
Functional adaptations refer to the working of an organism's body
Habitat environment in which a species lives
Herbivores animals that eat plants (consumers) for food (e.g. cow)
Omnivores animals that eat both plants and other animals (e.g. humans)
Physical factors conditions in a habitat such as light, temperature and salinity
Population number of organisms of the same kind living in a particular area
Predators animals which hunt other animals for food
Producers organisms (plants and algae) that able to make their own food
Species a small group of organisms that look alike and can breed amongst themselves to produce fertile offspring
Structural adaptations refer to the shape and size of the organism and how various parts of its body are put together
Behavioural adaptations related to how the organism behaves
Biological factors the influence of other living things on a species
Carnivores animals which eats only other animals for food (e.g. lion)
Community all the populations living in one location
Competitors two individuals or species require the same resources
Consumers animals which eat other organisms (plants or animals) for food
Decomposers organisms which break down dead bodies for food
Ecology study of relationships between organisms and the environment
Ecosystem a living community and its physical environment
Enzymes biological catalyst that speed up chemical reactions in organisms
Food chain a chain of organisms in which each organism is eaten by the next in the chain
Food web the combination of a number of food chains which shows the feeding relationships between the organisms
Functional adaptations refer to the working of an organism's body
Habitat environment in which a species lives
Herbivores animals that eat plants (consumers) for food (e.g. cow)
Omnivores animals that eat both plants and other animals (e.g. humans)
Physical factors conditions in a habitat such as light, temperature and salinity
Population number of organisms of the same kind living in a particular area
Predators animals which hunt other animals for food
Producers organisms (plants and algae) that able to make their own food
Species a small group of organisms that look alike and can breed amongst themselves to produce fertile offspring
Structural adaptations refer to the shape and size of the organism and how various parts of its body are put together