Ecosystems and Biomes

Section 1

producer An organism that can make its own food Ex) plants, bacteria

consumer an organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms Ex) cows, birds, dogs, people

herbivore a consumer that eats only plants Ex) deer, antelope

carnivore Consumer that eats only animals Ex) wolves, lions, spiders

omnivore Consumer that eats both plants and animals Ex) crows, bears, humans

scavenger A carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms Ex) catfish, vultures

decomposer Organisms that break down wastes and dead organisms and return the raw materials to the ecosystem Ex) worms, mushrooms, bacteria

food chain A series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy Ex) woodpecker feeds on carpenter ant which feeds on tree

food web The many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem Ex) pg. 45 in textbook

energy pyramid A diagram which shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another Ex) pg. 46 in textbook

Section 2

water cycle The continuous process by which water moves from Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back Ex) water evaporates, clouds form, water falls to earth, gets collected in lakes, and follows the cycle again

evaporation The process by which molecules of liquid water absorb energy and change to a gas Ex) water from a lake going into the air on a sunny day

condensation The process by which a gas changes to a liquid Ex) clouds

precipitation Heavy drops of liquid that fall back to earth Ex) rain, snow, sleet, hail

nitrogen fixation The process of changing free nitrogen into a usable form of nitrogen

Section 3

biogeography The study of where organisms live Ex) koala bears living in Australia

continental drift A process in which the plates move and the continents move with them Ex) PANGEA

dispersal The movement of organisms from one place to another -can be moved by wind, water, or living things Ex) humans taking corn and tomato plants from Central and South America to North America

exotic species An organism that is carried into a new location by people Ex) corn being brought to America, carp introduced into North America

climate The typical weather pattern in an area over a long period of time Ex) humid, hot in Florida

Section 4

biome A group of land ecosystems with similar climates and organisms Ex) rain forest, tundra, desert

canopy Leafy roof formed by tall trees in a rain forest

understory A second layer of shorter trees and vines below the canopy in the rainforest

desert An area that receives less than 25 centimeters of rain per year Ex) Mojave Desert

grassland An area that is populated mostly by grasses and other non-woody plants Ex) prairies

savanna Grasslands that are located closer to the equator and have small shrubs and trees as well as grass Ex) African Savanna

deciduous tree A tree that sheds its leaves and grows new ones each year Ex) maple, elm, oak, walnut

coniferous tree A tree that produces its seeds in cones and has leaves shaped like needles Ex) pine tree

tundra An extremely cold and dry biome

permafrost Soil that is frozen all year long

Section 5

estuary Where the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of an ocean Ex) Mississippi River in the Gulf of Mexico

intertidal zone The area between the highest high-tide line and the lowest low-tide line

neritic zone A region of shallow water which extends over the continental shelf