Ecosystem Vocabulary Part 1

A nonliving part of an ecosystem is called a ______.

• abiotic

• biotic

• decomposer

• organism

______ is a living thing in an ecosystem.

Match the following

• decomposer

• an organism that breaks down dead plant and animal material

• consumer

• an organism that cannot make its own food

• producer

• an organism that use energy from the Sun to make its own food

Match the following

• population

• a group of organisms of the same species living in the same place at the same time

• ecosystem

• populations of different species (plant and animals) living and interacting in the same area

• community

• a community of abiotic and biotic populations

the way all organisms in an ecosystem depend upon each other

• interdependence

• food web

• consumer

• ecosystem

the ability to do work or change something

• decomposer

• energy

• energy flow

• competition

the movement of energy from one organism to another in a food chain or food web

• energy

• decomposer

• producer

• energy flow

Match the following

• competition

• an animal that hunts other animals for food

• predator

• animals that are eaten by other animals

• prey

• the struggle between two organisms for the same resources in the environment

Match the following

• parasitism

• a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is not impacted at all

• symbiosis

• a symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and one species is harmed

• mutualism

• a close and usually long-term relationship between two different kinds of organisms

• commensalism

• a symbiotic relationship that is beneficial to both organisms

The overlapping food chains in a an ecosystem are called a ______.