Ecology unit vocab: part 2 Flashcards
An organism that makes its own food, usually through photosynthesis.
Grass is a producer because it uses sunlight to create food.
Producer
An organism that eats other organisms for food.
Lions are consumers because they eat other animals for food.
Consumer
An organism that breaks down dead plants and animals, returning nutrients to the soil.
Fungi are decomposers that help break down dead trees and leaves.
Decomposer
A series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
In a food chain, a rabbit eats grass, and a fox eats the rabbit.
Food chain
A network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem.
Food web
A diagram that shows the flow of energy in an ecosystem, from producers to top consumers
In the energy pyramid, producers are at the base, and top predators are at the top.
Energy pyramid
The variety of different species in an ecosystem.
Biodiversity
A close relationship between two different species that live together.
Symbiosis
A trait or behavior that helps an organism survive in its environment.
Adaptation
When organisms or species compete for the same resources, like food or space.
Competition
