Ecology Vocabulary

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What are biomes?

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Biomes are large geographic biotic units, a major community of plants and animals with similar life forms and environmental conditions. Examples include deserts, tropical rain forests, and tundras.

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What are heterotrophic organisms?

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Heterotrophic organisms are those that cannot produce their own food and rely on consuming other organisms for energy. They are classified as consumers and decomposers.

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What is an autotroph?

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An autotroph is an organism that produces its own food from inorganic compounds, typically through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

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What are decomposers?

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Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

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What are abiotic factors?

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Abiotic factors are the nonliving components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, temperature, water, and minerals.

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What are biotic factors?

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Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms.

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What is the difference between a community and an ecosystem?

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A community is a group of different species living together in one area, while an ecosystem includes both the community and the abiotic factors that interact with it.

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What is a food chain?

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A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

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What is a food web?

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A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, illustrating how different species are related through feeding relationships.

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What is biodiversity?

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Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including the number of different species and genetic diversity.