Ecosystems and Biomes
1.  Ecology- the study of how living things interact with each other and with their environment.
2.  Organism- smallest unit in an ecosystem. Ex. Zebra
3.  Population-All the members of one species in a particular area. Ex. A family of zebras
4.  Community-All the different populations that live together in an area. Ex. Zebras, giraffes, and lions
5.  Ecosystem-All the living and nonliving things that interact in an area. Ex. Water, temperature, zebras, lions
6.  Biotic factor-A living part of an ecosystem. DRAW a plant and animal
7.  Abiotic factor-A nonliving part of an ecosystem. Ex. include air, water, soil, temperature, wind, source of energy (usually sun) DRAW!
8.  Habitat-The place where an organism lives and that provides the things the organism needs. Ex. A deer or a bear lives in a forest
9.  Species-A group of similar organisms whose members can mate with one another and produce fertile offspring. Ex. Puppies come from dogs, not cats
10. Niche-An organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or its job.
Ex. A bee pollinating flowers
11. Producer-An organism that can make its own food. Ex. A flower, a tree.
DRAW!
12. Consumer-An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms. Ex. Lions, sharks. DRAW!
13. Herbivore-An animal that eats only plants. Ex. Deer, rabbits. DRAW!
14. Carnivore-An animal that eats only other animals. Ex. Hawks, lion, snakes. DRAW!
15. Omnivore-An animal that eats both plants and animals.
Ex. Mice, humans, bears. DRAW!
16. Scavenger-A carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms.
Ex. Vultures, hyenas. DRAW!
17. Decomposer-An organism that breaks down large molecules from dead organisms into small molecules and returns important nutrients to the environment. Ex. Mushrooms, bacteria, worms. DRAW!
18. Food chain-A series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy. Ex. Berriesàmiceàsnakeàhawk
à = to the direction of energy flow
19. Food web-The pattern of overlapping food chains in an ecosystem.
20. Energy pyramid-A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web. Only 10% moves on.
Energy pyramid
21. Adaptation-A characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment and reproduce. Ex. Color change in a chameleon, thick blubber on a whale
22. Biome-A group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms.
Ex. Desert, arctic tundra, tropical rainforest.
23. Desert-A region that receives less than 25 centimeters of rain per year.
24. Grassland-An area populated by grasses that gets 25 to 75 centimeters of rain each year.
25. Savanna-A tropical grassland with scattered clumps of trees; found in the tropical wet-and-dry climate zone close to the equator.
26. Deciduous tree-A tree that sheds its leaves and grows new ones each year. Ex. Oak trees
27. Coniferous tree-A tree that produces its seeds in cones and has needle-shaped leaves. Ex. Pine trees
28. Tundra-An extremely cold, dry biome.
29. Permafrost-Permanently frozen soil that is found in the tundra climate region.
30.Estuary-Where fresh water of a river meets salt water of the ocean.