Niche Vocabulary These are the words that will be found in conversations about an organisms niche.

Niche Definition-the role of an organism in its environment Characteristics: includes the place in the food chain/web includes how it interacts with other organisms can include both harmful and beneficial interactions

Niche (continued) Examples: Non-Examples: eagle: predator of fish tree: provides shelter to squirrel Non-Examples: water drinking

Consumer Definition-an organism that must get its energy from another source Characteristics: eats another organism uses the other organism to get energy to live usually is animals and fungi

Consumer (continued) Examples: Lion Seal Non-Examples: Tree Seaweed

Producer Definition-an organism that creates its own energy Characteristics: usually is a plant uses photosynthesis to make food needs sunlight and carbon dioxide

Producer (continued) Examples: Tree Seaweed Non-Examples: Lion Seal

Decomposer Definition-an organism that breaks down dead organisms to obtain energy Characteristics: help put nutrients back into soil help clear waste and dead organisms can be fungi and bacteria

Decomposer (continued) Examples: mushrooms bacteria Non-Examples: Lion Tree

Scavenger Definition-an animal that looks for dead organisms to eat to get energy Characteristics: can be insects, worms, or larger animals breakdown dead plants and animals can eat waste and dead bodies

Scavenger (continued) Examples: yellow jackets vulture Non-Examples: Tree Seal

Predator Definition-an animal that hunts and kills another animal to obtain food Characteristics: hunts to kill to sustain until it needs energy again may or may not kill the animal before it eats and digests some swallow the animal whole

Predator (continued) Examples: Lion Orca Non-Examples: Tree Earthworm

Prey Definition-organisms attacked and eaten by others Characteristics: usually smaller types of animals larger number in population than predator can be 1st level or 2nd level conusmers

Prey (continued) Examples: Non-Examples: fish chipmunk Tree Baleen Whale

Carnivore Definition-organism that eats meat Characteristics: is a 2nd level consumer is a predator and sometimes prey to another mainly live alone or in small groups

Carnivore (continued) Examples: orca lion Non-Examples: Tree chipmunk

Herbivore Definition-organism that eats plants, nuts, and berries Characteristics: is a 1st level consumer can also be known as a primary consumer preyed upon by carnivores

Herbivore (continued) Examples: Panda Moose Non-Examples: orca lion

Omnivore Definition-organism that eats both plants and animals Characteristics: can be 1st level as well as 2nd level consumers has teeth to fit eating plants as well as animals have highly adaptive digestive systems

Omnivore (continued) Examples: Non-Examples: Humans Black bears Tree lion