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Definition
| A system in which energy, but not matter is exchanged with its surroundings. |
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A system in which both energy and matter are exchanged with its surroundings.
For example, natural ecosystems. |
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Definition
| A system that exchanges neither matter nor energy with its surroundings (recycle) |
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| 1st law of thermodynamics |
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Definition
| Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only moved; conservation of energy. |
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| 2nd law of thermodynamics |
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Definition
| Energy(heat) will always moved from areas of high energy to low energy (hot->cold). |
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Definition
| The condition of a system in which there is a tendency for it to return to a previous equilibrium condition following disturbance. |
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| The condition of an open system in which there are no changes over the longer term, but in which there may be oscillations in the very short term. |
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Definition
| Feedback that tends to damp down, neutralize or counteract any deviation away from an equilibrium. |
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Definition
| Feedback that tends to damp down, neutralize or counteract any deviation away from an equilibrium, and promotes stability. |
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| Transfer of matter and energy |
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Definition
| The movement of matter and energy through a system without involving a change of form or state. |
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| Transformation of matter and energy |
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Definition
| The movement of matter and energy through a system involving a change of form or state. |
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Definition
A living, biological factor that may influence an organism or ecosystem.
For example, predation, parasitism, disease, competition. |
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Definition
| A non-living, physical factor that may influence an organism or ecosystem; for example, temperature, sunlight, pH, salinity, precipitation. |
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Definition
| The position that an organism occupies in a food chain, or a group of organisms in a community that occupy the same position in food chains. |
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Definition
| Organisms that can produce their own food. |
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Definition
| Organisms that eat other organisms to obtain their food. |
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Definition
| Organisms that feed on plants. |
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| Organisms that feed on animals. |
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Definition
| Bacteria and fungi that feed on dead and decaying organisms. |
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Definition
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Definition
| The number of organisms (producers and consumers) coexisting in an ecosystem. Quantitative data for each trophic level are drawn to scale as horizontal bars arranged symmetrically around a central axis. |
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Definition
| The amount of biomass present at each trophic level at a certain point in time, and represents the standing stock of each trophic level measured in units such as grams of biomass per square metre (gm-2). Biomass may also be measured in units of energy, such as J m-2. |
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Definition
| Show the rate of production over a period of time. Each level represents energy per unit area per unit time. Productivity is measured in units of flow (g m-2yr-1 or J m-2 yr-1). These pyramids show the flow of energy through a food chain. |
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Definition
| That part of the Earth inhabited by organisms, that is, the narrow zone in which plants and animals exist. |
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Definition
| A collection of ecosystems sharing similar climatic conditions; for example, tundra, tropical rainforest, desert. |
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Definition
| A community of interdependent organisms and the physical environment they inhabit. |
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Definition
| A group of populations living and interacting with each other in a common habitat. |
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Definition
| A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time, and which are capable of interbreeding. |
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| The environment in which a species normally lives. |
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Definition
| A species' share of a habitat and the resources in it. An organism's ecological niche depends not only on where it lives but also on what it does. |
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Definition
A common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited supply of a resource.
For example, food, water, light, space, mates, nesting sites. |
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Definition
| Process of an animal eating another animal. |
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Definition
| An interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both. |
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Definition
| An Interaction where one organism (the parasite) benefits at the expense of another. |
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Definition
| An interaction in which two organisms live together and both species benefit from the relationship. |
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Definition
| An interaction between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm. |
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Definition
| An assemblage of parts and the relationships between them, which together constitute an entity or whole. |
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