Habitat and Ecosystem Terminology

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Habitat

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Area in which animals, plants, and other organisms live

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Ecosystem

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Interconnected biological system made up of living organisms and their physical environment

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Provisional services

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Products obtained from a habitat; used every day, such as food, water, wood, and oil

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Cultural services

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Non-material benefits provided by a habitat such as tourism and recreation

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Regulating services

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Natural processes the habitat regulates, such as biological control of predator and prey populations and prevention of soil erosion

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Supporting services

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Natural processes the habitat facilitates to maintain the conditions of the earth, such as oxygen production and nutrient cycling

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Aquatic

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Related to water

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Terrestrial

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Related to soil or dry land

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Continental shelf

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Area of land underneath the sea and near a continent

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Phytoplankton

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Microscopic marine algae