Science · Grades 5–10
Ecosystems and interactions
20 key concepts, retrieval questions and a learning checkpoint.
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Food-web arrows show the direction of energy transfer: from the food organism to the organism eating it.
Build your vocabulary
Ecosystem
A community of organisms together with its non-living environment.
Population
Members of one species living in a particular area at a particular time.
Community
All interacting populations in an area.
Producer
An organism that makes organic food from inorganic materials using an energy source.
Consumer
An organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms or their products.
Decomposer
An organism that breaks down dead organic material and wastes.
Food web
A network showing linked feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
Food chain
A single sequence showing transfer through feeding relationships.
Biodiversity
The variety of life, including diversity of genes, species and ecosystems.
Competition
An interaction in which organisms seek the same limited resource.
Mutualism
An interaction between species in which both participants benefit.
Parasitism
An interaction in which one organism benefits while harming its host.
Commensalism
An interaction in which one organism benefits and the other is not substantially affected.
Abiotic factor
A non-living environmental influence such as temperature or light.
Biotic factor
A living component or biological influence in an environment.
Carrying capacity
The population size an environment can sustain under particular conditions.
Adaptation
An inherited characteristic that improves reproductive success in a particular environment.
Natural selection
Differential reproductive success associated with heritable variation.
Extinction
The loss of all living members of a species.
Conservation
The protection and responsible management of natural systems and biodiversity.
Test your recall
Ecosystems and interactions: which term fits this description? A community of organisms together with its non-living environment.
- Population
- Natural selection
- Ecosystem
- Carrying capacity
Ecosystems and interactions: which term fits this description? Members of one species living in a particular area at a particular time.
- Producer
- Extinction
- Parasitism
- Population
Ecosystems and interactions: which term fits this description? All interacting populations in an area.
- Adaptation
- Community
- Commensalism
- Food chain
Check and explain
Answers and marking notes
- Ecosystem
Ecosystem: A community of organisms together with its non-living environment.
- Population
Population: Members of one species living in a particular area at a particular time.
- Community
Community: All interacting populations in an area.
Further reading and review references
These are reference links, not copied exercises, institutional endorsement or proof of independent review.
Learning preview · teacher review required. Grade bands are approximate, not official curriculum alignment.