Ecosystem Vocabulary

Symbiotic Relationship

A close, prolonged association between two or more different organisms of different species that may, but does not necessarily, benefit each member.

Food Chain

A succession of organisms in an ecological community that constitutes a continuation of food energy from one organism to another as each consumes a lower member and in turn is preyed upon by a higher member.

Ecosystem

a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.

Photosynthesis

a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy, normally from the Sun, into chemical energy that can be later released to fuel the organisms' activities.

Chemosynthesis

a series of chemical reactions providing the energy source; does not involve sunlight.

Food Web

a series of organisms related by predator-prey and consumer-resource interactions; it is basically a bunch of food chains combined into one web.

Predator Prey

a symbiotic relationship in which one species hunts a different species for food.

Omnivore

an animal that eats both plants and meat - other animals. (Humans are omnivores)

Carnivore

an animal that only eats meat - other animals.

Herbivore

an animal that only eats plants.

Habitat

an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant, or other type of organism.

Producer

an organism capable of producing energy/fuel for itself or other sources through the process of photosynthesis (using light energy) or through chemosynthesis(using chemical energy). It is at the bottom of the food chain.

Consumer

an organism that generally obtains food by feeding on other organisms or organism matter due to lack of the ability to make its own food.

Biotic

living things in an ecosystem; plants, animals, bacteria, etc.

Abiotic

non-living things in an ecosystem; such soil, water, temperature, bedrock, etc.

Parasitism

non-mutual symbiotic relationship between species, where one species, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host.

Decomposer

organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, and in doing so carry out the natural process of decomposition. (Bacteria is usually the decomposer of animals while Fungi is the decomposer of plants and trees)

Mutualism

symbiotic relationship between two organisms of different species in which both derive benefits.

Commensalism

symbiotic relationship between two organisms of different species in which one derives some benefit while the other is unaffected.

Respiration

the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide using lungs or gills; humans breathe in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide.

Food Cycle

the series by which an ecosystem receives and transfers energy. For example, a plant is eaten by a rabbit, which is then eaten by a fox; when the fox dies it decomposes into food for the plant.