Unit 7: Ecosystems and Invasive Species

Community

• A group of individuals living in isolation.

• All the different populations that live together in an area.

• A collection of unrelated species in a habitat.

• A single species dominating an ecosystem.

Biotic

• Refers to non-living components in an ecosystem, such as rocks and water.

• Refers to living components in an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.

• Refers to the interactions between different species in an ecosystem.

• Refers to the physical environment of an ecosystem.

Producer

• An organism that consumes other organisms for energy.

• An organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis.

• An organism that decomposes organic material.

• An organism that relies on external sources for energy.

Population

• A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area.

• A collection of different species in a habitat.

• The total number of organisms in an ecosystem.

• A random sample of individuals from a larger group.

Carrying capacity

• The minimum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

• The maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

• The average population size of a species that an environment can sustain for a short period.

• The total number of species that can coexist in an environment.

Exotic / alien species

• Species that are native to a specific area.

• Species that are introduced to a new area where they are not native.

• Species that are endangered in their native habitat.

• Species that have adapted to urban environments.

Consumer

• An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms.

• An organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis.

• An organism that decomposes dead matter for energy.

• An organism that relies solely on inorganic substances for energy.

Respiration

• The process by which organisms convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

• The process of photosynthesis in plants to produce glucose.

• The breakdown of proteins into amino acids for energy.

• The conversion of sunlight into chemical energy.

Carnivore

• An organism that eats other animals.

• A plant that absorbs sunlight.

• An organism that feeds on decomposed matter.

• A creature that primarily eats fruits.

Food web

• A simple chain of organisms that eat one another.

• A network of complex interactions formed by the feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem.

• A diagram that shows the energy flow in a single species.

• A list of all the organisms in a specific habitat.