Ecosystems

Pollutants

Substances that cause harm to the environment and disrupt the balance of ecosystems. Pollutants can be chemicals, waste products, or other materials that negatively affect air, water, and soil quality.

Ecosystems

Community of living organisms interacting with their physical environment.

Photosynthesis

Process by which green plants and some organisms convert light energy into chemical energy, using carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose and oxygen.

Interdependence

Refers to the reliance of organisms on each other and their environment to survive and thrive, highlighting the interconnectedness within ecosystems.

Scavenger

A type of consumer that feeds on the remains of dead animals and organic matter, playing a crucial role in nutrient cycling.

Watershed

Refers to a type of freshwater ecosystem characterized by shallow water, which supports diverse aquatic life.

Consumers

Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other living things, including plants and animals, and play a vital role in food webs.

Water

that is found on the Earth's surface, playing a critical role in ecosystems by providing habitat and sustaining life.

Food chain

A series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food, illustrating the flow of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem.

Food web

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

Chlorophyll

A green pigment found in plants that is essential for photosynthesis, allowing them to absorb light energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead or decaying organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Water cycle

The continuous process by which water evaporates from the Earth's surface, condenses into clouds, and precipitates back as rain or snow, ultimately replenishing groundwater and surface water.

System

of interdependent organisms interacting with their environment.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms and their physical environment, functioning together as a unit.