Resources in an Ecosystem - 6th grade

Life Science

Key resources needed for survival

food, water, shelter, space

competition

more than one species needs the same resource

ecosystem

all the living organisms (biotic) that interact in a specific area with all the nonliving (abiotic) things

Abiotic

Non-living things air, water, sun, soil

Biotic

living or used to be living

population

A group of organisms that belong to the same species and live in the same area, example is a population of zebras on the savannah.

Cycling of Matter in Ecosystems

Matter is constantly being recycled through living and nonliving things.

carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals that an ecosytem can support

limiting factors

Any biotic or abiotic factor that limits the number or organisms, examples are limited space or food

Overpopulation

too many living things in an area - causing a lack of resources

cause and effect

change in one thing causes change in another

Scarcity

A shortage of resources

human impact

The effect that humans have on an environment.

Adaptation

inherited characteristic that increases an organism's chance of survival

Radiant energy

Earth’s main source of energy is from the sun

Law of Conservation of Energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed
it can change forms but the total amount of energy never changes

Competition

the struggle between organisms for the same resource

Predator/Prey

relationship where the predator captures and eats another organism, called the prey

Biodiversity

The variety of life in an ecosystem, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Available Resources

The amount of resources in an ecosystem that help organisms survive