Ecosystem Engineers 2025-26

ecosystem

an ecosystem is made up of all of the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) things in an area

biotic factors

living organisms (e.g. plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, etc.)

abiotic factors

non-living factors (e.g. water, rock, climate, sunlight)

riparian zone

land around bodies of fresh water (e.g. rivers, streams, lakes, etc.)

habitat

a place where an animal lives; must provide food, water, shelter, space

adaptation

unique inherited trait or feature that enables species to survive and thrive

physical adaptation

body part or process that helps a plant or animal survive in an environment

behavioral adaptation

something instinctual an animal does in order to survive

evolution

the process of genetic change in a population over time

niche

the ecological role of an organism in an ecosystem (i.e. resources it uses, how and when it uses the resources, and how it interacts with other species)

producer

organism that creates its own food from energy from the sun

consumer

organisms that hunt and forage for food / energy; eat plants or animals

decomposer

breaks down / consumes dead organisms for food / energy

herbivore

animal that eats only plants

omnivore

eats everything (plants and animals)

carnivore

animal that eats other animals

generalist

uses a broad range of resources (i.e. eats many different foods)

specialist

uses a narrow range of resources (i.e. eats only one or a very few kinds of food)

food web

all of the possible feeding relationships and energy transfers in an ecosystem

trophic level

a level in a food chain, a food web, or an ecological pyramid; describes who eats whom

ecosystem engineer

a species that extensively shapes its physical environment, creating new habitat for other species in the process

keystone species

an organism that plays a critical role in maintaining an ecosystem