Green Generation Ecosystem Vocab

Question 1

Species

Answer 1

A group of organisms that can mate with each other and produce offspring that can also mate and reproduce

Question 2

Population

Answer 2

All the members of one species living in an particular area are referred to as a population

Question 3

Community

Answer 3

All the different populations that live together in an area

Question 4

Ecosystem

Answer 4

The community of organisms that live in a particular area along with the non-living (abiotic) environment

Question 5

Biotic Factors

Answer 5

The parts of a habitat that are living, or once were living, and interact with an organism

Question 6

Abiotic factors

Answer 6

The non-living parts of an organisms habitat.

Question 7

Autotrophs

Answer 7

Organisms that are able to produce their own food through processes of photosynthesis or chemosythesis (i.e. plants)

Question 8

Heterotrophs

Answer 8

Organisms that are unable to produce their own food and receive energy by consuming other organisms.

Question 9

Herbivore

Answer 9

A heterotroph that only consumes plants

Question 10

Carnivore

Answer 10

A heterotroph that only consumes other heterotrophs

Question 11

Omnivore

Answer 11

A heterotroph that consumes both autotrophs and heterotrophs

Question 12

Detritivore

Answer 12

A heterotroph that consumes dead or decaying organisms

Question 13

Decomposer

Answer 13

A heterotroph that breaks down dead or decaying organisms

Question 14

The Hydrologic Cycle

Answer 14

The cycle in which the water circulates through the atmosphere, bodies of water, organisms, and the soil

Question 15

The Carbon Cycle

Answer 15

The circulation of carbon in different chemical forms (the exchange of carbon between the organisms and the environment)

Question 16

The Nitrogen Cycle

Answer 16

The circulation of nitrogen in different chemical forms (the exchange of nitrogen between organisms and the environment)

Question 17

The Phosphorus Cycle

Answer 17

The uptake of phosphorous by plants and animals.

Question 18

The smallest level of organization

Answer 18

A single organism

Question 19

Ecology

Answer 19

The study of how organisms interact with each other and with their environment

Question 20

Producer

Answer 20

An organism that can make its own food

Question 21

Consumer

Answer 21

An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms

Question 22

Scavenger

Answer 22

a carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms

Question 23

Food Chain

Answer 23

A series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy

Question 24

Food Web

Answer 24

many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem

Question 25

Energy Pyramid

Answer 25

A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from on feeding level to another in a food web