6.4.1 Vocabulary Basics

​Energy in an ecosystem starts with the sun.

Plants use the suns energy to produce food.

Consumers are eaters. They eat plants or meat.

Decomposers break down dead organisms.

​Resources are the things an organism needs to stay alive. This moose needs water, plants to eat, and air to breathe. He needs a space to roam and the proper temperatures.

​When resources are scarce it affects ecosystems.

Individuals may become sick, weak, or even die, reducing populations.

Since ecosystems are interconnected, a scarcity for one population can affect others.