03 Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
The study of interactions between living things and their physical and chemical environment
Ecosystems
All the living and non-living parts of an environment and how they interact as a system.
A system
- Something made of many parts
- The parts are all different but are interconnected and interact with each other
Hierarchy of ecological biotic interactions within the biosphere
Individuals → populations → communities → ecosystems→ biosphere
Population
- A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same ecosystem at the same time
- They are able to interbreed
Ecological communities
Different populations that interact with one another in the same ecosystem form a community
Biosphere
- All the areas on earth where life exists.
- Requires interaction of the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere to support life.
Species
Individuals belonging to groups of similar individuals capable of successfully interbreeding
Habitat
- Particular species live in different habitats.
- A habitat is the home of a particular individual.
Niche
- Particular species have specific roles in the ecosystem.
- The niche is the job of a particular individual.
Biotic factors
- The living parts of an ecosystem
- The interactions between living parts
Abiotic factors
- The non-living parts of an ecosystem
- The non-living processes in an ecosystem
Example biotic factors
- Plants
- Animals
- Bacteria
- Fungi
- Protista
Example abiotic factors
- Soil Particles
- Water
- Gases
- Sunlight
Example biotic interactions
- Competition
- Feeding
- Pollination
- Seed dispersal
Temperature as an abiotic factor
How hot or cold an area is
Slope as an abiotic factor
Slope describes how steep or flat the land is
Producers in an ecosystem
Plants and algae that make their own food by photosynthesis
Consumers in an ecosystem
Organisms that rely on other organisms for their food (energy) requirements
Herbivores
- Consumers that eat plants
- E.g. cows, elephants, locusts
Carnivores
- Animals that feed on other animals
- e.g. predators, scavengers and insectivores
Predators
- Carnivores that hunts other animals
- e.g. leopards, lions and eagles
Scavengers
- Carnivores that feed on dead animals or decaying meat
- e.g. vultures, jackals and hyenas
Insectivores
- Carnivores that feed on insects
- e.g. bat-eared foxes, pangolins and ladybirds
Omnivores
- Consumers that eat both plants and animals
- e.g. humans, pigs, many birds and baboons
Decomposers
- Organisms that break down or decompose the remains of organisms and their wastes
- E.g. bacteria, fungi, insects and earthworms
Importance of decomposers
- They break down dead matter and wastes into simpler substances
- These substances are recycled and returned to the ecosystem
- These substances can be used by other organisms e.g. plants
- Without this recycling, there would be insufficient nutrients for more organisms to grow
