3.2 Energy in ecosystems Flashcards
What is an omnivore?
An organism that eats both plants and animals
What is a carnivore?
An organism that only eats animals
What is a consumer?
An organism which consumes other organisms for food
What is a pyramid of energy?
A diagram of the total energy contained within each stage of the food chain. They are always pyramid shaped
What resources do plants compete for?
- light
- water
- space
What resources do animals compete for?
- food
- water
- shelter
- mates
Which is interspecific competition?
when competition occurs between organisms of different species
What is intraspecific competition?
When competition occurs between organisms of the same species. It is more intense than interspecific competition as organisms are competing for exactly the same resources
How can energy be passes onto the next stage in the food chain?
growth
What is prey?
An organism that is hunted by a predator/another animal
How can energy be lost in a food chain?
- heat
- movement
- undigested materials
How much energy. is lost at each stage in the food chain
90%
What may intense competition result in?
death of an organism or being forced to leave the ecosystem
What is the definition of ecosystem?
All the organisms living in an environment and the non-living components with which the organisms interact. There is a limited supply of nutrients in any ecosystem.
What is a producer?
an organism which produces its own food via photosynthesis
What is the role of a secondary consumer?
a secondary consumer is an animal that eats primary consumers
What is the role of a primary consumer?
An organism that eats the producers
What is a pyramid of numbers?
A diagram of the total number of organisms at each stage of a food chain. The size of each organism increases as you move up the food chain. The numbers of each organism decreases as you move up the food chain (most of the time)
Name an alternative to fertiliser and why it can be used
peas and clovers-they contain bacteria in their root nodules that can convert nitrogen gas to nitrates
What is a predator?
an organism that hunts prey/other animals
Name what plants and animals require to produce proteins
nitrogen
When does competition occur?
when resources are in short supply
What is a herbivore?
an organism that only eats plants
