Biomes

Front

Ecosystem Noun

---

[ee-koh-sis-tuhm]

Back

Ecosystem

---

A community of living organisms interacting with the non-living components of their environment as a functional system.

---

Example: This diagram shows an ecosystem where energy flows from the sun to plants, then to animals, and is recycled by decomposers, with heat lost at each step.

Front

Biome Noun

---

[bahy-ohm]

Back

Biome

---

A large, naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat, such as a forest or tundra.

---

Example: This image shows four different examples of biomes—Tundra, Forest, Grassland, and Desert—each with typical plants and animals, to illustrate the overarching concept.

Front

Flora Noun

---

[flawr-uh]

Back

Flora

---

The collective plant life occurring in a particular region, habitat, or geological period, often specific to a biome.

---

Example: Flora refers to all the plant life in a particular region. This image shows the flora of a desert biome, including different types of cacti and shrubs.

Front

Fauna Noun

---

[faw-nuh]

Back

Fauna

---

The collective animal life of a particular region, habitat, or geological period, often specific to a biome.

---

Example: This image shows the fauna, or all the different animals, that live together in a forest and pond biome, including mammals, birds, and fish.

Front

Biotic Factor Noun

---

[bahy-ot-ik fak-ter]

Back

Biotic Factor

---

Any living or once-living component that affects another organism or shapes the ecosystem, including animals, plants, and fungi.

Front

Abiotic Factor Noun

---

[ey-bahy-ot-ik fak-ter]

Back

Abiotic Factor

---

A non-living chemical or physical part of the environment that affects living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.

---

Example: This diagram defines abiotic factors as non-living parts of an ecosystem and shows key examples like sunlight, water, soil, and temperature that determine a biome.

Front

Population Noun

---

[pop-yuh-ley-shuhn]

Back

Population

---

A group of individuals of the same species living and interbreeding within a given geographical area at the same time.

---

Example: This graph shows how the population size of two species, the snowshoe hare and its predator the lynx, changes over many years in their biome.

Front

Community Noun

---

[kuh-myoo-ni-tee]

Back

Community

---

An interacting group of various species in a common location, representing the living part of an ecosystem.

---

Example: This image shows a community where different species—an ant, aphids, and a plant—all live together and interact in the same small area.

Front

Habitat Noun

---

[hab-i-tat]

Back

Habitat

---

The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism that provides food, water, and shelter.

---

Example: This diagram shows that a habitat is a place where organisms live, and it can be classified into major types like terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water), with specific examples for each.

Front

Autotroph Noun

---

[aw-tuh-trohf]

Back

Autotroph

---

An organism that can produce its own food using light or chemical energy; also known as a producer.

---

Example: An autotroph, like this plant, creates its own food using energy from sunlight, water from the soil, and carbon dioxide from the air.