The document defines key terms related to ecology including ecology, environment, producer, consumer, ecosystem, biome, food chain, food web, limiting factor, population density, habitat, niche, abiotic factor, and biotic factor. It provides the definition and an illustration or example for each term to concisely explain the important concepts in ecology.

1. Definition: The study of
relationships between
Ecology organisms and their physical
environment
Illustration/example:

2. Definition: The world in
which an organisms lives is
Environment its environment. It includes
the living or biotic factors
and non-living or abiotic
factors.
Illustration/example:

3. Definition: An organism,
such as green plants, that
Producer makes its own food by
photosynthesis.
Illustration/example:
A producer will
convert light energy
into chemical energy
(sugar) through the
process of
photosynthesis.

4. Definition: Organisms such
as animals that can not
Consumer make their own food. They
eat other animals or plants
to obtain the energy and
nutrients they need to
survive.
Illustration/example:
Consumers
(Animals)
Producers
(Plants)

5. Definition: A community
interacting with the non-living
Ecosystem
parts of its environment.
Illustration/example:

6. Definition: Large
geographic areas that have
Biome similar climate and
ecosystems.
Illustration/example:

7. Definition: A model used to
show how energy from food
Food Chain passes from one organism
to another.
Illustration/example:

8. Definition: A model used to
describe a series of
Food Web
overlapping food chains.
Illustration/example:

9. Definition: Any biotic or
abiotic fact that restricts the
Limiting Factor
number of individuals in a
population
Illustration/example:
The lack of water
is a limiting factor
when it limits the
growth and
development of
plants.

10. Definition: The number of
Population individuals per unit of living
Density space.
Illustration/example:

11. Definition: The physical
location where an organism
Habitat lives.
Illustration/example:

12. Definition: The role of an
organism in the ecosystem.
Niche Another definition is how an
organisms makes its living in
a habitat.
Illustration/example:

13. Definition: A nonliving thing
in an ecosystem. Abiotic
Abiotic Factor factors can determine the
number and types of
organisms in an ecosystem.
Illustration/example: Abiotic Factors
Water Light
Rocks Temperature

14. Definition: The living, or
once living, that directly or
Biotic Factor indirectly affect an
organisms and it
surroundings.
Illustration/example: Biotic Factors
Fish Plants
Bacteria Algae