Ecology Terms

2. animal that eats only plants; for example, moose and deer
4. area where an organism lives
6. diagram that shows complex feeding relationships among organisms that eat many different things; interconnected food chains food chain
7. diagram that shows the feeding relationships among organisms
9. consumer that breaks down organic matter and releases the nutrients back into the ecosystem; for example, fungi and bacteria
12. matter remains of dead organisms and animal wastes
13. group of members of the same species that live in the same area
14. organisms that eat mostly meat, for example, wolves
15. the ability of populations of organisms to continue to live, to interact, and to reproduce indefinitely in an environment
18. group of similar organisms that can reproduce with each other and their offspring can also reproduce
19. is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, microbes) interacting with each other and their non-living physical environment (sunlight, water, soil, air
22. animal that eats both animals and plants; for example, bears and raccoons
23. study of how organisms interact with each other as well as with their environment in a system
24. non-living physical things, such as rocks, air, and water, or things that are measured, such as air temperature, hours of daylight, and salt concentration in seawater
25. consumer organism that eats producers; for example, a caterpillar, which eats plants

1. consumer organism that feeds on primary consumers; for example, a robin, which eats caterpillars
3. animal that catches and feeds on other live animals
5. organisms such as animals, plants, mushrooms, bacteria, and algae
8. populations of different species that live and interact in the same area
10. carnivore that eats the remains of dead animals; for example, vultures
11. organism that eats other organisms to obtain energy because it cannot produce its own food
16. number of different types of organisms in an area
17. consumer third level of consumer, which eats secondary consumers; for example, a hawk that feeds on small birds
20. animals that predators hunt and catch
21. organism that carries out photosynthesis