Ecology and Interactions
Ecology studies the interactions between organisms and their environment. Organisms in an ecosystem are connected through food webs, and changes to one part of the system can affect the whole.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
An ecosystem includes all living organisms (biotic) and non-living factors (abiotic) in an area
Producers (plants) capture the Sun's energy; consumers eat producers or other consumers; decomposers break down dead matter
A food web shows the complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem; energy flows through the web
Keystone species have a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem relative to their abundance
Key Vocabulary
Ecosystem
A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment
Producer
An organism (typically a plant) that makes its own food using energy from sunlight (photosynthesis)
Consumer
An organism that cannot make its own food and must eat other organisms to obtain energy
Food web
A diagram showing the complex network of feeding relationships in an ecosystem
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
In an ecosystem, what is the role of decomposers?
Question 2
What does a food web show?
Question 3
Which of the following is an ABIOTIC factor in an ecosystem?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●An ecosystem includes all living organisms (biotic) and non-living factors (abiotic) in an area
- ●Producers (plants) capture the Sun's energy; consumers eat producers or other consumers; decomposers break down dead matter
- ●A food web shows the complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem; energy flows through the web
- ●Keystone species have a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem relative to their abundance