3.1 ecosystems

• ecosystem


  community of living organisms that interact with each other and the environment or abiotic factors
• food chains


  sequence of what eats what in a straight line
• food webs


  network of what eats what in a big web with many interrelated chains
• producer


  plant that produces chemical energy by photosynthesis
• primary consumer


  organism that eats a producer
• secondary consumer


  organism which eats a primary consumer
• tertiary consumer


  organism which eats a secondary consumer
• quaternary consumer

  organism which eats a tertiary consumer
• predator

  hunter
• prey

  hunted
• species


  group of similar organisms such as plants or animals that can make fertile offspring
• biodiversity

  mix of different species in the same area
• population


  amount of organisms of the same species in the same area
• carnivore


  meat-eater
• herbivore


  plant-eater
• omnivore


  meat+plant-eater
• abiotic factors


  factor created by a non-living chemical or physical factor in the environment
• biotic factors


  factor created by a living thing or any living component
• niche

  organisms' behaviour based on their adaptations or traits for survival, organisms in ecosystems need their own or there will be competition, they can adapt and change to survive
• human influences


  change caused directly or indirectly by people