๐ Topic Summary
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microbes) that interact with each other and their physical environment (soil, water, air). Ecosystem interactions describe the relationships between these organisms and their surroundings. These interactions include things like who eats whom (food chains and food webs), how organisms compete for resources like sunlight or water, and how they cooperate or help each other survive. Understanding these interactions is key to understanding how ecosystems function and how they are affected by changes in the environment.
๐ฑ Part A: Vocabulary
Match the term with its definition:
| Term |
Definition |
| 1. Producer |
A. An organism that consumes other organisms |
| 2. Consumer |
B. All the living things in an ecosystem |
| 3. Decomposer |
C. An organism that breaks down dead organisms |
| 4. Abiotic Factor |
D. A non-living part of an ecosystem |
| 5. Biotic Factor |
E. An organism that makes its own food |
๐ Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the paragraph using the words: food web, competition, ecosystem, predator, prey.
An _________ consists of living and non-living things interacting. Within this system, there are many interactions. For example, a _________ hunts and eats its _________. When two organisms need the same resources, like water, they are in _________. All of these interactions are shown in a complex _________.
๐ค Part C: Critical Thinking
Describe one way that humans can negatively impact an ecosystem and what can be done to reduce that impact.