Ecosystem Basics
This term describes a community of living and non-living things working together
What is an ecosystem?
These living organisms include plants, fungi, and bacteria
What are producers?
Non-living factors in an ecosystem like water and air
What are abiotic factors?
Differences within the same species
What is genetic variation?
An ecosystem with dense tree coverage
What is a forest?
The variety of living things in an ecosystem
What is biodiversity?
The process by which plants convert sunlight into energy
What is photosynthesis?
The amount of heat or coldness in an environment
What is temperature?
The variety of different species in an ecosystem
What is species diversity?
A dry ecosystem with extreme temperature variations
What is a desert?
The natural home or environment of an organism
What is a habitat?
An organism that eats plants or other animals to get energy
What is a consumer?
The source of energy that plants use to grow
What is sunlight?
Differences like hair color or disease resistance
What are genetic traits?
A cold ecosystem with permafrost soil
What is a tundra?
A group of living things that are similar and can reproduce
What is a species?
Microorganisms that break down dead matter
What are decomposers?
The type of ground that supports plant life
What is soil?
The range of ecosystems like forests and deserts
What is ecosystem diversity?
An ecosystem with water-based environment
What is an aquatic ecosystem?
The process where decomposers break down dead things and return nutrients to the soil
What is decomposition?
This component of an ecosystem drives processes like photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition
What are biotic / living components?
Chemical and physical factors that influence living conditions
What are environmental conditions?
The importance of biodiversity in an ecosystem
What is recycling matter and supporting life?
The main categories of ecosystems (land or water)
What are terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems?