Ecosystems and Energy Flow Vocabulary

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Ecosystem

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A system consisting of all the living organisms (biotic factors) and their physical environment (abiotic factors) interacting in a specific area.

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Biotic Factors

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The living components of an ecosystem, including plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.

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Abiotic Factors

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The non-living components of an ecosystem, such as sunlight, temperature, water, and soil.

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Habitat

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The specific environment where an organism lives, including all its biotic and abiotic factors.

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Niche

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The role an organism plays in an ecosystem, including how it gets food, interacts with others, and survives.

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Food Chain

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A linear representation of how energy moves from one organism to another in an ecosystem.

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Food Web

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A complex network of interconnected food chains showing multiple feeding relationships within an ecosystem.

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Trophic Level

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Each step in a food chain or food web, representing how energy is transferred in an ecosystem.

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Producer (Autotroph)

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An organism that makes its own food using sunlight (photosynthesis) or chemical energy (chemosynthesis), such as plants and algae.

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Primary Consumer

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An organism that eats producers (herbivores like rabbits and deer).