The effects on the ecosystem that are a result of the nonliving parts of that ecosystem

the role of an organism in an ecosystem

the path that energy and nutrients follow in an ecosystem

the overlapping chains in an ecosystem

an organism that eats plants or other animals

an organism, such as a plant, that makes its own food

an organism that breaks down dead plant and animal material

anything that controls the growth or survival of a population

a relationship between two kinds of organisms over time

a relationship between two kinds of organisms that benefits both organisms. Example: Oxpecker and zebra; the oxpecker eats the ticks and other parasites that live on the zebra and the zebra protects the bird.

a relationship between two kinds of organisms that benefits one without harming the other. Example: Tree frogs use plants as protection.

a relationship in which one organism lives in or on another organism and benefits from that relationship while the host organism is harmed by it. Example: Mosquitoes harm humans. Ticks/fleas harm animals.

a specific classification of a plant or animal that is not native to an ecosystem

the continuous movement of water between Earth’s surface and the air, changing from liquid into gas into liquid

water in the form of a gas that is present during evaporation

the continuous exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen among living things

The continuous trapping of nitrogen gas into compounds in the soil and its return to the air