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| a decomposer that feeds on the waste material in an ecosystem, including the bodies of other organisms that have died, plant debris, and animal feces |
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| any system with constant change in which the components can adjust to the changes without disturbing the entire system |
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| a representation of energy flow in food chains and webs; also called a food pyramid |
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| the study of how organisms interact with each other and with their physical environment |
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| includes the living community as well as the physical environment in which the organisms live; the fourth and most complex level of organization that ecologists study |
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| a representation of the pathway taken by nutrients and energy through the trophic levels of an ecosystem |
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| see ecological pyramid food web a representation of the nutrient and energy pathways in an ecosystem showing many crosslinked food chains |
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| the region in which an organism lives |
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| an organism (consumer) that eats plants (producers); also called a primary consumer |
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| an organism that consumes other organisms or biotic waste in order to survive |
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