Ecology Vocab

The study of the interactions of living things with each other and their physical environment.

• ecology

• limiting factor

• biotic factor

• abiotic factor

the living and nonliving things present in an ecosystem that prevent a population from growing beyond a certain size, including food, water, available mates, and predators

• ecology

• limiting factor

• biotic factor

• abiotic factor

all living things in an ecosystem, including animals, bacteria, plants, fungi, and other living species

• ecology

• limiting factor

• biotic factor

• abiotic factor

all nonliving things in an ecosystem, including water, rocks, sunlight, weather, natural disasters, oxygen, space, hunting, and shelter

• ecology

• limiting factor

• biotic factor

• abiotic factor

a living thing that makes its own food

• producer
• consumer
• decomposer
• herbivore

a living thing that must eat other living things

• producer
• consumer
• decomposer
• carnivore

an organism that breaks down dead plants and animals

• producer
• consumer
• decomposer
• onmivore

a consumer that eats only plants

• herbivore
• carnivore
• omnivore
• predator

a consumer that eats both plants and other animals

• herbivore
• carnivore
• omnivore
• producer

an animal that hunts and eats other animals

• predator
• prey
• herbivore
• producer