Ecology Part 1 Vocabulary

Includes all living and nonliving things in an environment.

• ecosystem
• biotic factors
• abiotic factors
• food chain

All the living things in an environment (plants, animals).

• consumers
• abiotic factors
• biotic factors
• producers

All the nonliving things in an environment (air, rocks, sunlight).

• consumers
• biotic factors
• abiotic factors
• producers

Organisms that use the Sun's energy to make their own food.

• consumer
• producer
• decomposer
• predator

Any animal that eats plants or other animals.

• producer
• decomposer
• prey
• consumer

An animal that eats only producers (plants).

• carnivore
• omnivore
• herbivore
• predator

An animal that eats both plants and animals.

• herbivore
• carnivore
• omnivore
• consumer

Organisms that break down dead or decaying plant and animal material.  (bacteria, mushrooms)

• producer
• consumer
• predator
• decomposer

The flow of energy from one organism to another in an ecosystem.  It starts with the sun.

• ecosystem
• food web
• abiotic factor
• food chain

A connection of food chains with many food energy paths in an ecosystem.

• food web
• biotic factors
• food chain
• abiotic factors