Ecosystem
an area where the living and non-living things interact and affect each other
Habitat
the area where a plant or animal lives or grows naturally
Population
all the members of a species that live in the same area
Community
many populations of organisms in an area
Species
a type of organism
Abiotic factors
the non-living parts of ecosystems
Biotic factors
the living parts of ecosystems
Limiting factors
resources or other factors in the environment that can lower the population
Carrying capacity
the maximum population size that an ecosystem can support
Producers
organisms that make their own food (perform photosynthesis); usually plants, but not always
Photosynthesis
the process producers perform to create food (glucose)
Consumers
organisms that obtain their energy from other organisms
Herbivores
eat producers to get energy
Carnivores
eat animals to get energy
Omnivores
eat both producers and consumers
Decomposers
get nutrients and energy by breaking down dead organisms
Trophic level
energy level
Food chain
set of organisms that pass energy from one trophic level to the next
Primary consumer
eats producers
Secondary consumer
eats primary consumers
Tertiary consumer
eats secondary consumers
Food Web
shows the feeding relationships between many organisms in an ecosystem; multiple interconnected food chains
Predator
an organism feeds on another living organism
Prey
the organism that is being hunted and/or eaten
True predation
a predator kills and eats its prey
Grazing
a predator eats part of the prey but does not kill it
Camouflage
an appearance that helps an organism blend in to its surroundings
Mimicry
a species has an appearance that copies another species which is used to trick the predator
Symbiosis
a close and long-term relationship between different species
Mutualism
a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit
Commensalism
a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits while the other is not affected
Parasitism
a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is harmed