1.3 - the web of life Flashcards
producer
an organism that uses light energy to synthesize sugars and other organic compounds through the process of photosynthesis
consumer
an organism that uses other organism as a source of energy
primary consumer (herbivores)
an organism that eats green plants, algae, or phytoplankton
secondary consumers
an organism that eats herbivores
tertiary consumer
an organism that eats secondary
carnivore
an organism that kills and eats other animals
omnivore
an organism that eats both plants and animals
scavengers
a bird or animal that feeds on dead and decaying animals that it did not kill
decomposer
an organism that breaks down complex, organic molecules into simpler molecules.
trophic level
the division of species within an ecosystem-based upon its energy source
why are decomposers so important?
because they are key to the ecosystem survival
food chain
a pathway along which food is transferred from one trophic level to the next. food chains is within a food web
what is biomagnification
process of toxins increasing in concentration as it move up the food chain
chemical formula for photosynthesis
sunlight + water + carbondioxide - oxygen + glucose
food web
the interconnecting feeding relationship within an ecosystem
