Ecology Vocabulary

Food web

• a diagram that shows how different plants and animals in an ecosystem are connected through what they eat.

• a chart that lists all the species in a habitat.

• a map that indicates the geographical distribution of species.

• a list of food items consumed by a specific animal.

Herbivore

• An animal that feeds on plants.

• An animal that feeds on meat.

• An animal that feeds on both plants and meat.

• An animal that primarily lives in water.

Scavenger

• An animal that feeds on carrion, dead plant material, or refuse.

• A predator that hunts live animals for food.

• A herbivore that primarily eats plants.

• An omnivore that consumes both plants and animals.

Consumers

• Organisms that produce their own food; also known as autotrophs.

• Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms; also known as heterotrophs.

• Organisms that decompose dead matter; also known as saprotrophs.

• Organisms that can survive without energy; also known as inanimates.

Autotrophs

• Organisms that produce their own food from inorganic substances, like plants using photosynthesis.

• Organisms that consume other organisms for energy.

• Organisms that decompose organic material for nutrients.

• Organisms that rely on external sources for food.

Ecosystem

• A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

• A group of unrelated species living in the same area.

• A collection of non-living things in a specific location.

• A system of government that regulates environmental policies.

Secondary Consumer

• an organism that eats primary consumers (herbivores) to get energy.

• an organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis.

• an organism that decomposes dead matter to recycle nutrients.

• an organism that primarily eats plants (herbivores) for energy.

Carnivore

• An animal that feeds on other animals.

• A plant-eating animal.

• An animal that can eat both plants and animals.

• An animal that primarily feeds on fruits.

Biotic

• Non-living components of an ecosystem, such as rocks and water.

• Living components of an ecosystem, such as organisms like plants and animals.

• Artificial components created by humans, such as buildings and roads.

• Components that do not interact with living organisms, such as air and sunlight.

Primary Consumer

• an organism that eats producers (plants or algae) to get energy.

• an organism that produces energy through photosynthesis.

• an organism that decomposes dead matter.

• an organism that eats other consumers.