Ecology Vocabulary Review

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Plant eaters

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Primary consumer: Organisms that eat producers (plants) in an ecosystem.

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Organisms, such as fungi, that break down and absorb nutrients from dead organisms

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Decomposer: Organisms that recycle nutrients by breaking down dead matter.

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When an organism captures and feeds on another organism

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Predation: A biological interaction where one organism (the predator) hunts and consumes another (the prey).

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Group of ecosystems with the same climax communities

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Biome: A large geographical biotic unit, a major community of plants and animals with similar life forms and environmental conditions.

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No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time

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Competitive exclusion principle: A principle stating that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist.

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Organisms that consume primary consumers

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Secondary consumer: Organisms that eat primary consumers in a food chain.

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Organisms that consume secondary consumers

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Tertiary consumer: Organisms that eat secondary consumers in a food chain.

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The role and position a species has in its environment

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Niche: The specific area where an organism lives and the role it plays in its ecosystem.

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The living components of an ecosystem

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Biotic factors: All the living things in an ecosystem, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

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The non-living components of an ecosystem

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Abiotic factors: The physical and chemical elements in an ecosystem, such as sunlight, water, and minerals.