Ecosystem Vocabulary Ecosystems A community and their environment

Ecosystem Vocabulary

Ecosystems A community and their environment around them

Abiotic Factors The non-living parts of an ecosystem ● ● ● Water Minerals Light Air Soil Temperature

Biotic Factors The living parts of an ecosystem ● Animals ● Plants ● Fungi ● Bacteria

Organism Any living thing - could be single-celled or multi-celled

Population All the organisms of the same species (type) living in an area

Community All of the populations of plants and animals living in an area

Habitat The place where an organism lives

Vegetation ● Plants in a collected area (if something has an abundance of vegetation or dense vegetation it means there is a lot of plants)

Biome A group of ecosystems that share similar climates and organisms

Niche The role of an organism in its community ● ● What does the species eat? What eats the species? What environment does the species need? Is the species active by day or by night? No 2 species can have the exact same niche or role AND live in the same are

Producer Produces their own energy (food) using sunlight (plants)

Photosynthesis ● The use of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and sugar ● This is how plants produce their own food ● Photosynthesis

Consumer ● Organisms that eat other organisms to get their energy (food)

3 Types of Consumers… Herbivore Carnivore Omnivore

Decomposer ● Organisms that break down dead materials ○ Mushrooms ○ Earthworms ○ Bacteria ○ Fungi ○ Snails

Adaptations ● Special skills helping animals survive ○ Example: The animals that live in the arctic tundra and the desert where there is extreme weather need adaptations to survive there Camels tough mouths can chew thorny plants