An ontology of core ecological entities definition editor note term editor definition source A carnivorous process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming dead or decaying animal matter. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 scavenging A system in which living entities consume living, dead, or non-living entities or are consumed by other living entities through trophic interactions. consumer-resource system trophic system topological web web of life food web A system in which living entities consume living, dead, or non-living entities or are consumed by other living entities through trophic interactions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_web A food web in which the outputs of a trophic interaction are consumed by organisms acting in a lower trophic level relative to the initial interaction. Definition needs revision, but core intention is captured. food cycle A system in which a series of living entities consume living, dead, or non-living entities in successively higher trophic levels. consumer-resource chain trophic chain food chain A system in which a series of living entities consume living, dead, or non-living entities in successively higher trophic levels. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_web A function which inheres in a living entity by virtue of that entity being able to feed on a material. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 trophic function A function which inheres in a living entity by virtue of that entity being able to feed on living or once-living (dead) material. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 heterotrophic function A function which inheres in a living entity by virtue of that entity being able to harvest energy and create biomass from non-living materials. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 autotrophic function A function which inheres in a living entity by virtue of that entity being able to realize autotrophic and heterotrophic functions. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 mixotrophic function A process during which a living entity acquires or generates food and energy from a living, dead, or non-living entity. All categories of interaction partners should be indentified in subclasses. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 trophic interaction A process during which a living entity acquires energy and generates biomass from non-living entities. This should be axiomatised and made a defined class: any trophic interaction which has as input some inorganic material (non-living) that is the only source of carbon or reducing equivalents source is a autotrophic process. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 autotrophy An organism which acquires biomass and energy from living or dead material. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 consumer heterotroph A process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming another organism or organism part, living or dead. This should be axiomatised and made a defined class: any trophic interaction which has as input some organic material (living or dead) that is the only source of carbon or reducing equivalents source is a autotrophic process. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 consumption heterotrophy An organism which is capable of heterotrophic and autotrophic trophic processes. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 mixotroph A process during which a living entity generates food from abiotic sources and captures energy from light. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 photoautotrophy A process during which a living entity generates food from abiotic sources and captures energy from light. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phototroph A process during which a living entity acquires reducing equivalents from inorganic chemicals for use in biosynthesis or energy conservation via aerobic or anaerobic respiration. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 lithotrophy A process during which a living entity acquires reducing equivalents from inorganic chemicals for use in biosynthesis or energy conservation via aerobic or anaerobic respiration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithotroph An organism which consumes fungi. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 mycophage fungivore A heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming living fungal material. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 mycophagy In this class, we make no commitment to whether the organism belongs to a taxon which has adapted to a fungi-heavy diet: this is a functional defintion, referencing the act of eating, primarily, a fungi-based diet. fungivory A process during which a living entity generates food from abiotic sources or through consumption of living or dead material, and captures energy from light. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 phototrophy A process during which a living entity generates food from abiotic sources or through consumption of living or dead material, and captures energy from light. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phototroph A history which includes all the processes during which resources are used by an organism to grow, survive, and reproduce over its lifetime. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4364-7715 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 life history A history which includes all the processes during which resources are used by an organism to grow, survive, and reproduce over its lifetime. ISBN 13: 9781305967335 ISBN: 130596733X An organism which consumes plants or macroalgae via ingestion through a type of "mouth". Animal matter is broken down through an internal digestion process. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 primary consumer There is some debate over whether herbivores should be restricted to plants and macroalgae or generalsed to more photoautotrophs. We welcome input on our issue tracker: https://github.com/EcologicalSemantics/ecocore herbivore A heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming living plant- or macro-algal material. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 In this class, we make no commitment to whether the organism belongs to a taxon which has adapted to a herbivorous diet: this is a functional defintion, referencing the act of eating, primarily, a plant- or macroalga-based diet. herbivory A heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy from consuming living metazoan (animal) material. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 In this class, we make no commitment to whether the organism belongs to a taxon which has adapted to a carnivorous diet: this is a functional defintion, referencing the act of eating, primarily, an animal-based diet. carnivory An organism which is capable of incorporating inorganic carbon into its biomass. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4366-3088 primary producer autotroph Quotient (or ratio) of surface area of an organism divided by the mass of the same organism http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 area to mass ratio The process by which a larvae transforms into an adult. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 larval development The duration of the development from fertilized, deposited or implanted egg to hatching/birth. Corresponds to egg incubation duration in oviparous animals and to gestation period duration in viviparous animals. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 gestation incubation prenatal development Type of food comprising the majority of the diet of an organism http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 primary diet A reproductive quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's ability to produce offspring that develop inside a shelled egg, with a large food supply in yolk, after internal fertilization http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 oviparous A reproductive quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's ability to produce offspring that are born live, or where the development of the offspring is supported by either parent in or on any part of their body http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 viviparous A reproductive quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's ability to produce offspring that are born live after retaining the eggs inside the body of the female http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 ovoviviparous A reproductive quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's ability to produce offspring via external fertilization, the oocytes being released and fertilized outside the female's body by the male http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 ovuliparous A reproductive quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's ability to produce zygotes that develop in the female's oviducts, but find their nutriments from other tissues, whether skin or glandular tissue http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 histrotrophic viviparity A reproductive quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's ability to produce offspring that receive nutriments from the female during prenatal development via a specialized structure, such as a placenta http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 hemotrophic viviparity The second post-naupliar life stage of a copepod http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 copepodid stage 2 The third post-naupliar life stage of a copepod http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 copepodid stage 3 The fourth post-naupliar life stage of a copepod http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 copepodid stage 4 The sixth post-naupliar life stage of a copepod http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 copepodid stage 6 An evolutionary quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's morphological and physiological adaptation for running http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 cursorial An evolutionary quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's morphological and physiological adaptation for digging and living underground http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 fossorial An evolutionary quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's morphological and physiological adaptation for living in trees http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 arboreal a reproductive quality inhering in the bearer by virtue of the bearer having reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes at the same time http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 monoecious hermaphroditic a reproductive quality inhering in the bearer by virtue of the bearer having female reproductive organs at the beginning of its life and then switching to male reproductive organs http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 protogynous The process by which a larvae transforms into an adult wherein the larvae looks like a smaller adult form http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 direct development Organism that acquires nutrition from a symbiont http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 symbiotroph An organism bearing a symbiont role and capable of living within a plant for at least part of its life cycle without causing apparent disease http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 endophyte anatomical entity that comprises the organism in a distinct juvenile form before metamorphosing into an adult http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/UBERON_0002548 larva anatomical entity that comprises the organism in a distinct juvenile form that is provided with a source of nutrition, usually a yolk sac, to use before metamorphosing into an adult http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 lecithotrophic larva a community of microscopic, unicellular eukaryotic algae and the prokaryotic Cyanobacteria which live on sediment surfaces http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 microphytobenthos Organism that acquires nutrition by consuming particles of organic matter that have settled to the bottom of a body of water. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 deposit feeder Organism that acquires nutrition by consuming particles suspended in water. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 suspension feeder Organism that acquires nutrition by consuming particles of organic matter that have settled to the bottom of a body of water. The organism lives beneath the surface of the bottom sediment and retrieves food particles without coming into direct contact with the sediment surface. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 subsurface deposit feeder Organism that acquires nutrition by consuming particles of organic matter that have settled to the bottom of a body of water. The organism lives on or in the bottom sediment and uses a part of its body to retrieve the food particles directly from the surface. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 surface deposit feeder Organism that obtains nutrition by breaking down dead or decaying organisms https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 decomposer An decomposer which obtains nutrition by consuming detritus. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 detritivore A decomposer that obtains nutrition through extracellular digestion of decaying organic matter https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 saprotroph A decomposition process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming detritus. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 detritivory A heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by breaking down organic substances into simpler matter. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 decomposition A decomposition process during which a living entity acquires food and energy through extracellular digestion of decaying organic matter. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 saprotrophy A heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy through a symbiotic relationship with another organism. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 symbiotrophy An organismal quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the organization of the systems of organs involved with sexual reproduction amongst the bearer's conspecifics. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 sexual system An organismal quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the structure of the bearer's conspecifics in relation to sexual behavior. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 mating system One male and one female have an exclusive mating relationship https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 monogamous One female has an exclusive mating relationship with two or more males https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 polyandrous One male has an exclusive mating relationship with two or more females https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 polygynous Two or more males have an exclusive mating relationship with two or more females https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 polygynandrous a member of one sex mates with any member of the opposite sex https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 promiscuity The ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation, or other defined zone or habitat type. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 endemic The ecological state of a species or population wherein all individuals are dead. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 extinct The ecological state of a species living in a region where its presence is the result of only natural process, with no human intervention https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 native indigenous The ecological state of a species living outside its native distributional range, which has arrived there by human activity, either deliberate or accidental. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 exotic introduced The ecological state that is not the extinct state https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 extant The ecological state of a species being found across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 cosmopolitan The ecological state of a species being unique to a very small and specific location, such as the side of a mountain or a single lake. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 microendemic The estimated proportion of members of a population alive in year t that is still alive in year t + 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 annual survival rate A polyphyletic group of diverse photosynthetic organisms that excludes vascular plants and mosses and includes cyanobacteria, seaweed, and some single-celled organisms. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 algae Bacteria that are able to obtain their energy through photosynthesis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 cyanobacteria An evolutionary quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's morphological and physiological adaptation for being active primarily during dawn and dusk https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 crepuscular An evolutionary quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's morphological and physiological adaptation for being active during the hours of darkness https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 nocturnal An evolutionary quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's morphological and physiological adaptation for being active during the hours of daylight https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 diurnal An evolutionary quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's morphological and physiological adaptation for participating in long-distance movement of conspecifics, usually on a seasonal basis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 migratory An herbivore which primarily consumes grasses. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graminivore graminivore An herbivore that primarily consumes leaves http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folivore folivore An herbivore that primarily consumes roots http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 root herbivore rhizovore An herbivore that primarily consumes algae http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 algivore A heterotroph with a temporary parasitic association with another organism that leads to the death of the host. After which, the parasitoid can continue without the host or can move on to a new host. These organisms are considered partly parasites and partly predators. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 parasitoid A heterotroph that consumes animals in whole or in part via ingestion through a type of "mouth". Animal matter is broken down through an internal digestion process. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 carnivore a carnivore that actively captures and consumes other animals, causing their immediate or immenent death http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 predator A carnivore that feeds on dead and decaying animal matter http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 scavenger A predator that primarily eats insects http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 insectivore http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 A predator that eats primary consumers or herbivores secondary consumer A predator that eats secondary consumers http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 tertiary consumer A predator that eats tertiary consumers http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 quaternary consumer a predator residing at the top of a food chain upon which no other creatures prey. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 top predator apex predator a predator that captures or traps prey by stealth or strategy, rather than by speed or strength. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 ambush predator a detritivore that consumes leaf litter https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 litter transformer a heterotroph that consumes bacteria bacterivore A herbivorous process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming grasses, leaves, and other soft plant material. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 herbivorous grazing A herbivorous process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming seeds of a plant. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 seed predation A herbivorous process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming twigs, leaves, and bark of trees and shrubs. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 herbivorous browsing A carnivorous process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming other animals while they are stil alive. Predation leads directly to the imminent death of the prey organism(s). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 The definition of predation can be controversial. predation A predation process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming all or part of another individual of the same species as food. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 cannibalism A cannibalistic process during which an embryo obtains food and energy by consuming a less-developed sibling while both are still in the uterus. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 intrauterine cannibalism A cannibalistic process during which an embryo obtains food and energy by consuming a less-developed sibling embryo while both are still in the uterus. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 embryophagy adelphophagy A cannibalistic process during which an embryo obtains food and energy by consuming a less-developed sibling eggs while both are still in the uterus. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 oophagy A predation process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming insects. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 insectivory A predation process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming eggs. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 egg predation A predation process during which a group of predators cooperates to kill creatures larger than those they could overpower singly. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predation#Social_predation social predation A heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming a very narrow range of food items, sometimes only one. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 monophagy A heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming a few, very specific food items. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligophagy oligophagy A heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy by consuming a wide range of food items. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 polyphagy A heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy from consuming bacteria. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 bactivory A reproductive quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's ability to produce offspring via external fertilisation, the oocytes being scattered into the environment and fertilised outside the female's body by the male. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 broadcast spawn A reproductive quality inhering in a bearer by virtue of the bearer's ability to produce offspring via external fertilisation, the oocytes being released in an ovigerous sac and fertilised outside the female's body by the male. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 sac spawn a reproductive quality inhering in the bearer by virtue of the bearer having male reproductive organs at the beginning of its life and then switching to female reproductive organs http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 protandrous a reproductive quality inhering in the bearer by virtue of the bearer having female reproductive organs at the beginning of its life and then switching to being a hermaphrodite http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 protogynous hermaphroditism a reproductive quality inhering in the bearer by virtue of the bearer having male reproductive organs at the beginning of its life and then switching to being a hermaphrodite http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 protandrous hermaphroditism Sequential hermaphroditism occurs when the individual changes sex at some point in its life. a reproductive quality inhering in the bearer by virtue of the bearer changing sex at some point in its life http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 dichogamy sequentially hermaphroditic A heterotroph that consumes plant and animal matter either in whole or in part via ingestion through a type of "mouth". Animal and plant matter is broken down through an internal digestion process http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 omnivore The fifth post-naupliar life stage of a copepod http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-3327 copepodid stage 5 editor preferred term example of usage has curation status alternative term has axiom label temporal interpretation is a defining property chain axiom is a defining property chain axiom where second argument is reflexive