Ecology Terms

Food Chain

• A series of events in which ONE organism eats another in order to obtain energy (a single path).

• A complex network of interactions between multiple organisms.

• A process where plants convert sunlight into energy.

• A cycle of nutrients in an ecosystem.

Producer

• Also called autotrophs, produce their food and are at the base of the food chain in the ecosystem.

• Organisms that consume other organisms for energy.

• Decomposers that break down dead organic matter.

• Organisms that rely on external sources for food.

Food Web

• A system of many overlapping food chains.

• A single linear food chain.

• A type of food chain with no overlaps.

• A diagram showing only herbivores.

Omnivore

• An organism that primarily eats plants.

• An organism that primarily eats animals.

• An organism that regularly consumes a variety of material, including plants, animals, algae, and fungi.

• An organism that only consumes fungi.

Ecosystem

• All of the living and nonliving things that interact in an area.

• A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

• The physical environment where organisms live and interact.

• A community of organisms and their physical environment interacting as a system.

Heterotroph

• An organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis.

• An organism that obtains nutrients by consuming other organisms.

• An organism that can survive in extreme environments.

• An organism that decomposes organic material.

Herbivore

• Organism that feeds mostly on plants.

• Organism that feeds on other animals.

• Organism that can eat both plants and animals.

• Organism that primarily feeds on fungi.

Decomposer

• An organism that feeds on living plants and animals.

• An organism that breaks down dead plant or animal matter.

• An organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis.

• An organism that consumes other organisms for energy.

Scavenger

• An organism that consumes mostly decaying biomass, such as meat or rotting plant matter.

• A predator that hunts live animals for food.

• A herbivore that feeds on plants and fruits.

• A decomposer that breaks down dead organic material into nutrients.

Autotroph

• An organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals. Also called producers.

• An organism that consumes other organisms for energy.

• An organism that decomposes organic material for nutrients.

• An organism that relies on external sources for food.