Food ChainsVocabulary

5.9A – OBSERVE THE WAY ORGANISMS LIVE AND SURVIVE IN THEIR ECOSYSTEM BY INTERACTING WITH THE LIVING AND NONLIVING ELEMENTS

5.9B - DESCRIBE HOW THE FLOW OF ENERGY DERIVED FROM THE SUN, USED BY PRODUCERS TO CREATE THEIR OWN FOOD, IS TRANSFERRED THROUGH A FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEB TO CONSUMERS AND DECOMPOSERS

EcosystemAll living and nonliving things interacting in an environment.

LIVING: trees, grass, flowers, deer, wolf, bunny, snake, butterflies, mouse, hawk, bees

NONLIVING: rocks, water, air, dead tree branch

HabitatPlace where organism lives and finds everything it needs to survive

NicheRole of plant or animal plays in its habitat

How organism acts in environment Where it lives Interaction with other species What it eats/ what eats it Movement on a day-to-day basis

ProducerLiving things that can make its own food. (Plants)

ConsumerLiving thing that cannot make its own food and must eat other living things

Just plants Just animals Both plants and animals

HerbivoreOrganism that only feeds on grass and/or plants

Horse Cow Mouse Sheep

Zebra Koala Grasshopper Elephant Caterpillar

CarnivoreOrganism that only feeds on other animals (meat)

Wolf Lion Tiger Orca

Shark Dog Hawk Cat Octopus

OmnivoreOrganism that eats both plants and animals

Humans Tigers Rhino Tortoise

Bear Pig Alligator Cat Racoon

DecomposerA living thing that gets energy by breaking down dead organisms and animal waste into simpler substances. Flies Worms Snails Beetles

Bacteria fungi

MushroomsMossMold

PopulationAll organisms of same kind that live together in an ecosystem