Ecosystem: Living things and their nonliving surroundings interacting Habitat: The place where an organism lives Niche: An organism's role and way of life in its ecosystem Population: All members of one species in an area Community: All the populations living in an area Biosphere: All the parts of Earth where life exists Biome: A large region defined by climate, plants and animals Biotic factor: A living part of an ecosystem Abiotic factor: A nonliving part, like sunlight or water Producer: An organism that makes its own food, like a plant Consumer: An organism that eats other organisms Herbivore: An animal that eats only plants Carnivore: An animal that eats only animals Omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and animals Decomposer: An organism that breaks down dead matter, like fungi Scavenger: An animal that eats dead animals it did not kill Predator: An animal that hunts other animals Prey: An animal that is hunted Food chain: A single path of energy from one organism to the next Food web: Many connected food chains Trophic level: A step in a food chain Energy pyramid: A diagram showing energy decreasing at each level How much energy passes to the next level, roughly?: About 10 percent Primary consumer: An herbivore that eats producers Secondary consumer: An animal that eats primary consumers Apex predator: A predator at the top of the food chain Symbiosis: A close relationship between two species Mutualism: Both species benefit Commensalism: One species benefits and the other is not affected Parasitism: One species benefits and the other is harmed Competition: Organisms using the same limited resources Carrying capacity: The most individuals an environment can support Limiting factor: Something that keeps a population from growing, like food Succession: The slow change in an ecosystem's community over time Primary succession: Life starting in a place with no soil, like new rock Secondary succession: Regrowth after a disturbance where soil remains Pioneer species: The first species to move into a new area Keystone species: A species that has a big effect on its ecosystem Invasive species: A non-native species that spreads and harms an ecosystem Native species: A species that naturally lives in an area Endangered species: A species at risk of dying out Extinct: No members of the species are left alive Biodiversity: The variety of life in an area Tundra: Cold, treeless biome with frozen ground Taiga (boreal forest): Cold forest biome with evergreen trees Temperate forest: Forest with four seasons and deciduous trees Tropical rainforest: Warm, wet forest with the most species Grassland: Biome of grasses with few trees Savanna: Tropical grassland with scattered trees Desert: Biome that gets very little rain Wetland: Land covered with water for much of the year, like a marsh Estuary: Where a river meets the sea and fresh and salt water mix Coral reef: An underwater ecosystem built by coral animals Nitrogen cycle: How nitrogen moves between air, soil and living things Carbon cycle: How carbon moves between air, living things and Earth Water cycle: How water moves between Earth's surface and the air Nitrogen fixation: Bacteria turning nitrogen gas into a form plants can use Hibernation: A long winter sleep to save energy Migration: Moving from one region to another with the seasons Camouflage: Coloring that helps an organism blend into its surroundings Mimicry: When one species looks like another Estivation: A summer sleep to survive heat or drought Overpopulation: When there are too many individuals for the resources Ecological footprint: The amount of nature a person or group uses Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/bio-ecology