Ecosystem Vocabulary
A place where living and nonliving things affect each other.
Ecosystem
In most ecosystems, energy starts with this.
Sun
The animal that hunts and eats another animal.
Predator
One reason an invasive species can spread fast: it has not many _____ in the new ecosystem.
Predators
Any tool, method, or system people create to solve problems (not only modern or electronic).
Technology
The place an organism lives and finds what it needs.
Habitat
Living things that make their own food using sunlight.
Producers
The animal that gets hunted.
Prey
Another reason an invasive species can spread fast: it _____ quickly.
Reproduces
The process of improving ideas and creating new solutions over time.
Innovation
All the different populations living in one area.
Community
In a food chain, ______ consumes prey.
Predators
When prey becomes more common, amount of predators will _______.
Increase
If an invasive species uses the same food or space as native species, the native species may have ______ food.
Less Food
A way to move and store water for farming (canals, ditches, gates).
Irrigation
A species that is brought to a new place by people (on purpose or by accident).
Hint: Opposite of a species that's from the habitat.
Non-Native Species
A diagram that shows many connected food chains.
Food Web/Chain
Name one “limiting factor”
examples include food, water, space, disease, weather
Why can one change lead to many changes in an ecosystem?
All parts are connected.
Name two methods ancient people used to navigate (from the reading).
Stars, sun position, landmarks, early maps etc.
A non-native species that spreads fast and causes harm in the ecosystem.
Invasive Species
These break down dead plants and animals and return nutrients to the soil.
Decomposers
If predator numbers go up, amount of prey will ______.
This is a clear research question scientists ask when studying an invasive species: “What does it _____?”
Eat, live, prey upon,
Writing and record keeping helped societies stay organized by tracking ______ (any example from the reading).
Trade, taxes, laws, stories, instructions etc.