Ecosystem

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms, interacting with each other and with their nonliving environment.

Biotic Factors

Living things in an ecosystem that compete with one another for resources.

Abiotic Factors

Nonliving things in an ecosystem, such as air, water, and minerals.

Food Chain

A linear sequence of organisms through which energy and nutrients are transferred.

Food Web

An interconnected set of food chains showing the flow of energy through multiple pathways.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food using sunlight, such as plants.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that consume other organisms for energy and nutrients.

Interdependence

The reliance of different organisms on each other for food and energy.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose and oxygen.

Trophic Levels

Levels in a food chain or web, indicating the flow of energy from producers to consumers.

10% Rule in Food Chains

The principle that each trophic level only transfers about 10% of its energy to the next level.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead material, returning nutrients to the soil.

Water Cycle

The continuous movement of water within the ecosystem, involving processes such as evaporation and precipitation.

Oxygen Cycle

The process by which oxygen is cycled through ecosystems, primarily through photosynthesis and respiration.

Carbon Cycle

The movement of carbon between the atmosphere, land, and organisms, essential for life.

Nitrogen Cycle

The process of nitrogen recycling in ecosystems, converting nitrogen into usable forms for plants.