Eco Definitions

... an organism, such as a plant, that can make its own energy-rich food molecules from inorganic materials and an energy source such as sunlight; also called autotrophs

... an organism, such as a cow or a shark, that must eat other organisms to obtain energy-rich food molecules because they cannot make the molecules themselves; also called heterotrophs

... dead and decaying matter, including animal waste

... the ability to do work or cause change

... the community of different species in a particular geographic area and all of their interactions with each other and the physical environment; ecosystems are also called ecological networks

... an organism that breaks down organic material over time

... marine ecosystem where large, brown algae grow

... an animal that eats plants; also called a primary consumer

... microscopic organisms that live in the ocean and other bodies of water; can be plant-like and can photosynthesize or animal-like and cannot photosynthesize

... resistant to change, or able to return to a steady condition when disturbed