Ecosystem Vocabulary
What is an ecosystem?
Living and nonliving things interacting in an environment.
What type of organism makes its own food?
Producer
What is the main source of energy for most food chains?
The Sun
Name one thing all animals need to survive.
Food
Water
Shelter
What is an inherited trait?
A characteristic passed from parents to offspring.
What is an organism?
An individual living thing.
What type of organism eats other organisms for energy?
Consumer
In the food chain grass → rabbit → fox, what is the producer?
Grass
Why do cacti have thick stems?
To store water.
What is an acquired trait?
A characteristic developed through experiences or interactions with the environment.
What is a population?
A group of the same kind of organism living in an area.
What type of organism breaks down dead organisms and waste?
Decomposer
What do the arrows in a food chain show?
The direction energy flows.
How does camouflage help an animal survive?
It helps the animal blend into its surroundings.
A puppy is born with brown fur like its mother. Is this an inherited or acquired trait?
Inherited trait
What is a community?
All the different populations living in an area.
Is a mushroom a producer, consumer, or decomposer?
Decomposer
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain shows one path of energy flow; a food web shows many connected paths.
Why might birds migrate when seasons change?
To find food, suitable temperatures, or breeding areas.
A dog learns to sit when given a command. Is this an inherited or acquired trait?
Acquired trait
A biological interaction where one organism eats another organism for food.
Consuming
Why are decomposers important to an ecosystem?
They break down dead material and return nutrients to the environment.
If the rabbit population decreases, what might happen to the fox population?
It may decrease because foxes have less food.
A drought causes many plants to die. Explain how this could affect herbivores and carnivores.
Herbivores lose food, and carnivores may lose prey.
A polar bear has thick fur that helps it survive in freezing temperatures. What is this inherited survival trait called?
An Adaption