• biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving, physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight.

ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions are large areas of land or water,

and contain unique groups of natural communities and species

• Cottonwood • Mesquite• Cedar• Acacia• Prickly pear cactus• Mule deer• Swift fox• Prairie dog• Hawk• Burrowing owl• Pronghorn Antelope• Hognose snake• Badger

•Pecan •Post oak•Buckeye•Elderberry•Sycamore•Beaver•Raccoon•Bobwhite quail•Scissortail flycatcher•Black-capped vireo•Golden-cheeked warbler•Armadillo•Whitetail deer•Mexican free-tailed bat•Ornate box turtle

• Pine• Oak• Maple• Dogwood• Cypress• Whitetail deer• Bull frog• Bobcat• Striped skunk• River otter• Short tailed shrew• Woodpecker• Bald eagle

• Prickly pear cactus• Yucca• Mexican pinyon pine• Diamondback rattlesnake• Tarantula• Pronghorn antelope• Coyote• Mountain lion• Horned lizard• Great horned owl• Peregrine falcon• Javelina• Roadrunner

Oak Juniper Mesquite Indigenous grasses

(bluestem, indiangrass, buffalograss…)

Salamander Cricket frog Armadillo Grebes Raccoon Green-backed heron Ringtail

Silverleaf sunflowerYaupon hollyDuckweedCattailSwallowtail butterflyRed-winged blackbirdCrested caracaraIndigo snakeTexas tortoise

SweetgumWax myrtleMuskratAlligatorBottlenose dolphinWhooping cranePelicanBlue crabShrimpRoseate spoonbill

degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, or an entire planet!

What is a food chain?

A food chain shows how each living thing gets food, and how nutrients and energy are passed from organism to organism.

Grass Caterpillar Bird

What is a food web?

Food webs show how different organisms are interconnected by different paths.Food webs are made up of food chains: