Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Ecosystem: All the living and nonliving things in an area that interact with each other

Biotic Factor: A living part of an ecosystem

Abiotic Factor: A nonliving part of an ecosystem

Community: All the populations living in an area

Population: All the organisms of one species that live in an area at the same time

Niche: The role of an organism in its community

Organism: is an individual living thing.

Biodiversity - variety of living things in a given area. (Bio - means living)

Interdependence: In an ecosystem, plants and animals depend on each other, as well as other nonliving things.

symbiotic relationship: is one where two organisms of two DIFFERENT species interact.

Mutualism - “Good for me, good for you!” When two organisms interact and their relationship benefits BOTH of them, it is mutualism.

Commensalism - “Good for me, doesn’t bother you!” In this type of relationship, two species have a relationship where one species is getting something good out of it, while the other species is neither bothered or helped by the relationship.

Parasitism - “Good for me, bad for you!” In this type of relationship, one species gets something good out of it, while the other is harmed in some way.

adaptation: a change in order to fit in a new situation or use

biodiversity: a wide variety of organisms

carnivore: a consumer which gets its energy by eating only meat/animal flesh

consumer: an organism that gets it energy by eating other organisms

fertile: rich in nutrients; often used to describe soil

forest: an area of land densely populated with trees

grassland: a large, flat area of land which is mostly populated by tall grasses and few trees

herbivore: a consumer which gets it energy by eating only plants and vegetation

omnivore: a consumer which gets it energy by eating both plants and meat/animal flesh

producer: an organism that can make its own food through the process of photosynthesis

Photosynthesis: The process in which plants use carbon dioxide and sunlight to create sugar for themselves for food/energy

decomposer: An organism that gets its energy from breaking down decaying organic material; the role of decomposers is recycling nutrients throughout the ecosystem

Aquatic: Having to do with water

predator: An organism that hunts and eats other organisms for energy

prey: An organism that is hunted and eaten

Food Chain: Shows how energy is passed on from one living thing to the next. The arrow always points to the organism doing the eating.

Food web: Shows the feeding habits of different animals that live together in an ecosystem. A food web is made up of many different food chains. The arrow always points to the organism doing the eating.

Interdependence: In an ecosystem, plants and animals depend on each other, as well as other nonliving things.

Behavioral adaptation- something the animal DOES (or the way it behaves) to protect itself from predators and environmental factors. Some behavioral adaptations are learned, while others are instinctual, meaning that the animal is born knowing how to do it.

physical adaptation-something that the animal HAS on its body that allows it to protect itself from predators and environmental factors. Fur, claws, and sharp teeth are all examples

Model-a representation of objects or processes that look like or help explain the real thing

Germination-process by which seed swell up and begin to sprout and develop

Terrarium-a closed glass or plastic container in which terrestrial organisms can live and be observed

Aquarium-a glass or plastic container in which aquatic organisms can live and be observed

Radiation-a way that energy is transferred from Sun to Earth

Dependent Relationships-relying on another for example, plants rely on the sun for light

Variable- the part of an experiment that is changed or tested

Fair test-changing only one variable in an experiment

Control-the part of the experiment that is not changed

Ecosystems Vocabulary

Niche: The role of an organism in its community

Carnivore: An animal that only eats other animals

Abiotic Factor: A nonliving part of an ecosystem

Population: All the organisms of one species that live in an area at the same time

Consumer: An organism that relies on other organisms for food

Habitat: The area in which an organism lives

Decomposer: An organism that gets energy by breaking down nutrients in dead organisms

Herbivore: An animal that eats only plants

Biotic Factor: A living part of an ecosystem

Ecosystem: All the living and nonliving things in an area that interact with each other

Scavenger: An organism that eats organisms and plants that are already dead

Producer: An organism that produces its own food using energy from the sun

Community: All the populations living in an area

Omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and animals

Predators - A living thing that hunts other living things for food

Food Chain - The path of energy in food from one organism to another

Food Web - The overlapping food chains in a community

Prey - A living thing that is hunted for food

Sun - The original source of energy in an ecosystem