Ecosystems and Biomes Terminology

Ecosystem = A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. Biotic = Relating to or resulting from living things, especially in their ecological relations. Consumer = An organism that generally obtains food by feeding on other organisms or organic matter. Habitat = The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.

Biome = A large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat. Producer = An organism that can make its own food from inorganic substances, such as photosynthetic plants. Decomposer = An organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material. Symbiosis = Interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.

Abiotic = Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms. Carnivore = An animal that feeds on flesh. Omnivore = An animal or person that eats a variety of food of both plant and animal origin. Niche = The role and position a species has in its environment; how it meets its needs for food and shelter, how it survives, and how it reproduces.

Herbivore = An animal that feeds on plants. Trophic Level = The position an organism occupies in a food chain.