Ecosystem Basics
What is an ecosystem?
a community of living and nonliving things interacting in a specific area
What is the process where water vapor cools and forms clouds?
condensation
What do arrows in a food chain represent?
flow of energy
What is it called when two species benefit from each other?
mutualism
What provides the initial energy for most ecosystems?
the Sun
Name two types of factors in an ecosystem.
biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) factors
Name the process where liquid water becomes water vapor.
evaporation
A fox that eats a rabbit is a...
a consumer (specifically a carnivore)
When one organism benefits and the other is not harmed, it’s called...
commensalism
What process allows plants to convert sunlight into food?
photosynthesis
What do we call the organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis?
producers
What do we call rain, snow, sleet, or hail?
precipitation
What’s the difference between a food chain and a food web?
a food web shows many interconnected food chains?
When one organism benefits and the other is harmed, that’s
parasitism
What do we call organisms that eat other organisms?
consumers
These organisms break down dead matter.
decomposers
Where does water go after it falls to Earth?
collection (or accumulation)
What level of consumers eat only producers?
primary consumers
Competition happens when organisms fight for
resources
In a pyramid of energy, which level has the most energy?
he bottom level (producers)
at term describes an organism's role or job in its environment?
niche
What is the full movement of water through the environment called?
water cycle
Which organisms are always at the beginning of a food chain?
producers
A hawk and an owl both hunt mice. What kind of interaction is this?
competition
Why are decomposers important in an ecosystem?
recycle nutrients back into the soil?