ES - Vocabulary Flashcard - Ecosystem Dynamics

Front

What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients back into the soil, which is essential for ecosystem health.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Front

Define an ecosystem.

Back

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Front

What is the troposphere?

Back

The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where weather occurs and where most of the atmosphere's mass is found.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Front

Explain what a food chain represents.

Back

A food chain is a model that shows the linear feeding relationships between organisms, illustrating how energy and nutrients flow through an ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Front

What is the hydrosphere?

Back

The hydrosphere encompasses all the water on Earth, including water in solid, liquid, and gas forms.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Front

What is the significance of producers in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers, such as plants, convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

Front

Describe the concept of biodiversity.

Back

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including the number of different species and genetic diversity.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, defined by how an organism obtains its energy.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Front

What is the difference between a food web and a food chain?

Back

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains, showing how different organisms are related through feeding relationships.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Front

Define the term 'abiotic factors' in an ecosystem.

Back

Abiotic factors are the non-living components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, temperature, water, and minerals.