| A | B |
|---|
| Altered Ecosystem | an ecosystem that has been relatively stable for a period of time that is suddenly changed and becomes unbalanced |
| Biodiversity | the variation of all life forms that exist in an area |
| Cycling of Materials | the cycling of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen through an ecosystem when organisms die and decomposers do their job |
| Complex Organism | living things that are made up of several organ systems |
| Diversity | Variety. The many different animals and plants. |
| Energy Pyramid | a diagram of how energy is transferred through the various energy levels in an ecosystem |
| Established Ecosystem | a mature or stable ecosystem that is in a state of equilibrium |
| Interactions | the ways that the various members of an ecosystem affect one another |
| Interrelationship | the relationship that exists between various members in an ecosystem |
| Levels of Organization | the hierarchy into which the parts are ordered: population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere |
| Interdependence | the organisms that live in an ecosystem depend on each other |
| Predator | an animal that gets food by hunting |
| Prey | an animal that is hunted, killed and eaten by another |
| Physical Conditions | the non-living aspects of an ecosystem that determine the types and numbers of living things that can be supported |
| Water Cycle | the recycling of water on Earth--condensation, precipitation, and evaporation |
