Across
- 4. the contamination of air, water, or soil by substances that are harmful to living organisms
- 7. the place where an organism lives that provides all of its needs
- 12. a consumer that feeds on plants and animals
- 13. a consumer that feeds on plants only
- 15. a nonliving part of an ecosystem
- 16. the result of cutting down or clearing all the trees in an area
- 17. all of the different populations that live together in an area
- 19. an organism that can make its own food through photosynthesis (or chemosynthesis)
- 20. a severe lack of rainfall in an area over a certain time period
- 21. a distinct group of animals or plants that have common characteristics and can breed successfully with each other
- 22. synonym for producer- an organism that is able to produce its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis
- 23. an organism that breaks down waste and dead organisms
Down
- 1. organisms that are better suited for their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce (theory associated with Charles Darwin)
- 2. changes that occur in an area where no ecosystem previously existed
- 3. ecological _______ measures the variety of all living organisms in an ecosystem
- 5. an organism that lives in or on another organism and cause harm to it
- 6. all the members of one species in a particular are
- 8. a characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment and reproduce
- 9. an organism that gains energy by feeding on other organisms
- 10. an organism that a parasite lives in or on
- 11. an organism that hunts other organisms (consumers) for food
- 14. the process of grouping something according to its qualities or characteristics
- 18. fish and shellfish populations dropping quickly because they are being removed from oceans faster than they are able to reproduce