Food Webs

Quarter 2

ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment, which together comprise a functional unit.

predator

an organism that hunts and consumes other organisms for sustenance.

prey

an animal that is hunted and eaten by a predator.

food chain

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

food web

a complex network of interconnected food chains within an ecosystem, illustrating how energy and nutrients flow through various organisms.

biotic

pertaining to living organisms and their interactions within an ecosystem.

abiotic

non-living components of an ecosystem, such as temperature, water, and minerals, that influence living organisms.

producer

an organism that produces energy through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, serving as the base of the food web.

consumer

an organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms.

decomposer

organisms that break down dead organic material and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

carnivore

rorganisms that eat other consumers, primarily other animals.

herbivore

organisms that primarily eat plants to obtain energy.

omnivore

organisms that consume both plants and animals for energy.

food web

a complex network of interrelated food chains in an ecosystem that illustrates the feeding relationships between different organisms.

model

that represents the feeding relationships and energy flow in an ecosystem.

system

of interconnected organisms and their energy exchanges.

matter

in an ecological context refers to the physical substance that organisms require for growth, survival, and reproduction, as it cycles through the food web.

nutrients

essential chemical substances needed by organisms for growth and maintenance, which cycle through ecosystems.