Ecology Terms Crossword Puzzle

QUESTIONS LIST:

• fermentation : a process that releases energy from organic molecules in the absence of oxygen.
• ecosystem : the interacting parts of a biological community & its environment.
• bio accumulation : a process in which materials are ingested by an organism greater than the rate they are eliminated.
• trophic level : a category of organisms that is defined by how organisms gain their energy.
• abiotic : the non-living parts of an ecosystem.
• lithosphere : the hard part of the earth's surface.
• biotic : the living parts of an ecosystem.
• biomass : the total mass of living organisms in a defined group or area.
• greenhouse gases : atmospheric gases that prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere, which increases the atmosphere's temperature.
• biosphere : the regions of earth where living organisms exist.
• trophic efficiency : a measure of the amount of energy or biomass transferred from one trophic level to the higher trophic level.
• cellular respiration : a process that releases energy from organic molecules in the presence of oxygen.
• nutrients : a chemical that's essential to living things and is cycled through ecosystems.
• aquatic : an ecosystem that is water based.
• eutrophication : a process in which nutrient levels in aquatic ecosystems increase, leading to the increase of primary producers' population.
• hydrosphere : all the water found on earth. (lakes, oceans, ground water)
• atmosphere : the layer of gas above the earth's surface.
• sustainable: an ecosystem that is capable of withstanding pressure and giving support to a variety of organisms.
• terrestrial: an ecosystem that is land-based.
• greenhouse effect : the warming of earth as a result of greenhouse gases, which trap some energy that would otherwise leave earth.
• photosynthesis : a process that changes solar energy into chemical energy.
• acid precipitation : rain, snow or fog that is unnaturally acidic due to gases in the atmosphere that react with the water to form acids.