3.1 Ecosystems Flashcards
What is a species?
a group of organisms which can
breed to produce fertile offspring
What is a population?
is the number of individuals
of the same species in an area
What is a habitat?
The place where an organism lives
What is a community?
All of the organisms in an area (all the different populations)
What is an ecosystem?
all of the living organisms
in an area and the non-living components
they interact with
Ecosystem equation
Communities + habitat = ecosystem
What is a biodiversity?
is the range of species which
live in an ecosystem
What is a niche?
the role
an organism plays
in its environment
What is a food chain?
Shows the feeding relationship between different organisms
Food chain equation
Grass > grasshopper > starling
What do the arrows in the food chain represent?
Direction of energy flow
What do food chains begin with?
Producer
What is the difference between a producer and a consumer?
Producer: Make their own food
Consumer: Eat other organisms for food
What is the point of a food web?
Show several food chains joined together
What is a predator?
An organism which eats other animals
What is prey?
Animals which are eaten by other animals
What is a herbivore?
An animal which only eats plants
What is a carnivore?
An animal which only eats other animals
What is an omnivore?
An animal which eats both plants and animal material
What happens if a population is reduced or completely removed?
- Population of predators will decrease (due to lack of food)
- Population of their prey will increase (due to no longer being eaten)
- Population of their competition will increase (due to greater food availability)
When does competition occur?
When resources are limited
What resources will organisms compete for?
- Food
- Water
- Space
- Mates
What are two types of competition?
- Intraspecific competition
- Interspecific competition
Intraspecific competition
Occurs between members of the same species
Interspecific competition
Occurs between members of different species
Why is intraspecific competition more intense?
The resources being competed for are exactly the same
