1. Ecosystems
Essential Vocabulary

2. Vocabulary List for Ecosystems
abiotic factor: a nonliving part of an ecosystem
adaptation: a change in order to fit a new situation or use
aquatic: of or relating to water
biome: one of Earth’s largest ecosystems
biotic factor: a living part of the ecosystem
carnivore: an animal that eats other animals
commensalism: a relationship between two kinds of organisms that benefits one without harming or helping the other

3. community: all the living things in an ecosystem
consume: to use up or absorb
consumer: any animal that eats plants or other plant-eating animals
decay: to become decomposed, rot, or break down
deciduous forest: a forest biome with many kinds of trees that lose their leaves each autumn
decomposer: any of the fungi or bacteria that break down dead plants and animals into useful things like minerals and rich soil

4. ecosystem: all of the living and nonliving things in an environment and how they interact with each other
energy pyramid: a diagram that shows how much energy is passed from each level to the next in a food chain
environment: the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates
estuary: the place where the sea meets the mouth of a river; salt and fresh water mix
food chain: the path of the energy in food from one organism to another
food web: the overlapping food chains in an ecosystem
grassland: a biome where grasses, not trees, are the main plant life; prairies are one kind

5. habitat: the place where a plant or animal naturally lives and grows
herbivore: an animal that eats plants, algae, and other producers
interdependence: a reciprocal relationship between two items and how they depend on each other
mutualism: a relationship between two kinds of organisms that benefits both
omnivore: an animal that eats both plants and animals
organism: any living thing that can carry out its life on its own

6. parasitism: a relationship in which one organism lives in or on another and benefits while the other is harmed
photosynthesis: the process in which plants make food by using water from soil, carbon dioxide from air and energy from sunlight
population: all the members of one species in an area
predator/prey relationship: the relationship of animals that hunt or are being hunted
primary consumer: an animal that eats plants, an herbivore
producer: any of the plants or algae that produce oxygen and food that animals need

7. salinity: salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water
salt marsh: an area of coastal grassland that is regularly flooded by seawater
secondary consumer: an animal that eats smaller plant-eating animals
symbiosis: a relationship between two kinds of organisms that lasts over time
terrestrial: of or relating to the earth, land
tertiary consumer: an animal that is at the topmost level in a food chain, eats other carnivores
tropical rain forest: a hot, humid biome near the equator, with much rainfall and a wide variety of life