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

2. 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

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

4. 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

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

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

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

8. 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

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

10. 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

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

12. 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

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

14. 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

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

16. 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

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

18. 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

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

20. 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

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