Food Webs and Flow of Energy MS-LS2-3

Grade 7 - NGSS - CA

The biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the Earth's spheres

Carbon cycle

The biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the Earth's spheres. Carbon cycle. The carbon cycle is how carbon moves through the air, land, water, and living things.

Unlike a plant, cannot make its own food, instead it eats other living things

Consumer

Unlike a plant, cannot make its own food, instead it eats other living things. Consumer. A consumer is an organism that gets its energy by eating other living things.

An organism that breaks down dead organisms and waste, like fungi or bacteria

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down dead organisms and waste, like fungi or bacteria. Decomposers are living things like fungi and bacteria that help break down dead plants and animals into simpler materials, returning nutrients to the soil.

All the living and nonliving things interacting in an area

Ecosystem

All the living and nonliving things interacting in an area. Ecosystem. An ecosystem is where plants, animals, and their environment work together as a unit.

The food energy transfer between organisms in an ecosystem

Food chain

The food energy transfer between organisms in an ecosystem. Food chain. A food chain shows how energy from food moves from one living thing to another in an ecosystem.

A model of overlapping food chains in an ecosystem

Food web

A model of overlapping food chains in an ecosystem. Food web. A food web shows how different plants and animals in an ecosystem are connected and depend on each other for food.

The movement of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of matter

Nutrient cycling

The movement of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of matter. Nutrient cycling. Nutrient cycling is the process where nutrients like carbon and nitrogen move through the environment, helping plants and animals grow.

Organism that can make its own food, like all plants

Producer

Organism that can make its own food, like all plants. Producer. A producer is a living thing, usually a plant, that creates its own food using sunlight.

A step in the food chain or food web

Trophic level

A step in the food chain or food web. Trophic level. A trophic level is the position an organism occupies in a food chain, like being a plant eater or a predator.