Ecosystem Vocab

2. an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense.
8. an animal that naturally preys on others.
10. an animal or person that eats food of both plant and animal origin.
12. an animal that mainly eats plants.
13. an organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.
14. the regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth occupied by living organisms.
15. A group of the same species living in the same place at the same time
18. an interacting group of various species in a common location.
19. the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

1. the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
3. physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms.
4. an animal that feeds on flesh.
5. an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.
6. an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.
7. an organism deriving its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances.
9. a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat
11. a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
15. an animal that is caught and killed by another for food.
16. an animal or plant on or in which a parasite or commensal organism lives.
17. relating to or resulting from living things, especially in their ecological relations.