Ecosystems
All organisms living together in an ecosystem make up a ____________.
Community
Name a producer
any type of plant
stable
____________ is one of many kinds of matter that cycles again and again.
carbon
Living parts of an ecosystem
biotic factors
When two things affect each other they _________.
Interact
A set of interconnected food chains
food web
A series of changes in a community
Succession
Matter travels to _______________ when they eat plants and animals.
consumers
Organisms that are too small to see
microbes
Nonliving parts of an ecosystem
abiotic factors
decomposers
Name a threat to a healthy ecosystem
habitat loss due to human action and natural events such a forest fires
introduced species that crowd out other species
rapidly growing human population
overfishing or over harvesting
pollution
drought
To move through a series of steps that repeat
cycle
How do organisms use matter?
All living and nonliving components in a particular area
Ecosystem
How matter and energy flow from one organism to another
Food Chain
_____________ occurs when organisms in an ecosystem need the same resources.
competition
_________ gets used up as organisms do different activities like moving, digesting food, thinking and breathing.
energy
Why do producers return to the ecosystem before consumers and decomposers?
Producers can make their own food using abiotic materials and sunlight. Consumers need matter and energy from producers.
What is a way that abiotic factors and biotic factors interact in an ecosystem?
Water helps plants and animals grow
The sun gives warmth and energy to living things
How are producers and consumers related?
consumers eat producers to get energy and matter
How can introducing a new species into an ecosystem negatively affect the ecosystem?
If the new species can outcompete the other species in the ecosystem, other species may die
Why is cycling the matter important?
If matter did not cycle, matter that organisms need would eventually run out.
What would happen over time to matter in an ecosystem if decomposers were removed?
Organisms would not decay