Ecosystems
A community of living organisms interacting with their environment.
Ecosystem
An organism that makes its own food, typically through photosynthesis, like plants.
Producer
What is a natural disaster that can change an ecosystem?
Examples include wildfires, floods, and hurricanes.
The process by which plants convert sunlight into energy.
Photosynthesis
Name one type of ecosystem found on Earth.
Examples include forests, deserts, grasslands, and oceans.
What role do consumers play in an ecosystem?
Consumers eat other organisms for energy, and can be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores.
How do invasive species affect ecosystems?
They can disrupt local species and resources, often harming native populations.
A sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another.
Food Chain
Living things in an ecosystem, like plants and animals.
Biotic factors
An organism that breaks down dead material and recycles nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Decomposer
The gradual process of change and replacement in an ecosystem following a disturbance
Succession
What is the role of respiration in ecosystems?
Organisms use respiration to convert food into energy.
Non-living things in an ecosystem, such as water, sunlight, and soil.
Abiotic factors
Give an example of a herbivore.
cows, rabbits, deer, etc.
Name one way humans can change ecosystems
Examples include pollution, deforestation, and urban development.
What is the role of respiration in ecosystems?
Organisms use respiration to convert food into energy.
How do ecosystems maintain balance?
Possible answers: Adequate shelter and nesting sites, balance of decomposers, producers, and consumers, variety of species, adequate supply of clean air, water, and nutrients
What is the relationship between predators and prey?
Predators hunt and eat prey, impacting their populations
How can climate change impact ecosystems?
It can alter habitats, affect species survival, and change migration patterns
Explain the concept of a food web.
A complex network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem, showing multiple feeding relationships.