23 - Ecosystems Flashcards
What is ecology?
The study of interactions between organisms and their environment
What is a producer?
An organism that makes its own energy and biomass using sunlight
What is a habitat?
An area which a population of organisms lives in
What is a niche?
The part of a habitat which an organism is best suited to
What is an environment?
All the conditions that surround a living organism
What is a consumer?
Organism which gets its biomass from producers or other consumers by eating them
What is a community?
All the living organisms in a habitat
What is a trophic level?
The level at which an organism feeds in a food chain
What is a detritivore?
An organism which consumes dead or decaying matter
What is a decomposer?
An organism which breaks down organic matter
What is an autotroph?
An organism which produces its own biomass
What is an abiotic factor?
A non-living factor which affects organisms
What is a biotic factor?
A living factor which affects organisms
What are heterotrophs?
Organisms which get their biomass by consuming organisms from other trophic levels
What is a population?
All the organisms of one species living in a habitat at one time
What is a microhabitat?
A small part of a habitat with specific conditions
What is an ecosystem?
All living and non-living organisms in a habitat and their interactions
Can abiotic and biotic factors affect each other?
Yes- each can affect the other
What are the 3 types of change which can affect population size?
- Cyclic changes 2. Directional changes (non-cyclic and go in 1 direction) 3. Unpredictable changes (no rhythm or constant direction)
What are 2 examples of cyclic changes?
Tides and day length
What is an example of a directional change?
Erosion
What is an example of an unpredictable change?
Natural disaster such as a tsunami
What is constantly recycled within an ecosystem?
Matter
What is not recycled within an ecosystem and why?
Energy, as it flows through the ecosystem