Levels of organisation

• An ecosystem is the interaction between a community of living organisms and their environment
• A community consists of two or more populations of organisms
• Producers are plants that begin food chains by making energy from carbon dioxide and water through photosynthesis
• Consumers are animals above the producer in the food chain
• Primary consumers are herbivores that eat producers
• Secondary consumers obtain energy by eating the primary consumer
• Predators are animals that hunt, kill, and eat other animals
• Prey are organisms that predators kill for food
• Apex predators are the top animals in the feeding relationship
• Decomposers are bacteria and fungi that break down dead organisms through decomposition
• Decomposers release enzymes onto dead matter and consume the broken down substances
• Decomposers play a vital role in the recycling of matter
• Plants absorb broken down nutrients through their roots from decomposed matter