B17: Organising An Ecosystem Flashcards
What are primary consumers?
Organisms that eat producers
What are land and sea examples of primary consumers?
Land: sheep, hippos
Sea: shrimps, crabs
What are secondary consumers?
Organisms that eat primary consumers
What are land and sea examples of secondary consumers?
Land: lions, foxes
Sea: turtles, seals
What are producers?
Organisms like plant and algae that can make food from raw materials like water and carbon dioxide
What is a problem primary consumers face in their diet and what is an advantage?
Problem: cellulose is very difficult to digest
Advantage: plants don’t move around
What is a problem tertiary and secondary consumers face in their diet and what is an advantage?
Problem: animals move around
Advantage: high protein and fatty food is easy to digest
What do decomposers do?
Break down waste, dead animals and plants
Which elements need to be recycled to provide the building materials for all new life?
Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen
What are examples of decomposers?
Bacteria and fungi
What are detritivores?
Animals that feed on dead organic material
What are examples of detritivores?
Maggots, worms and beetles
What is the carbon cycle?
The constant cycling of carbon
How can carbon be taken out of the environment by plants and algae?
Photosynthesis
How is carbon returned to the atmosphere?
Respiration by living organisms and burning trees and fossil fuels
How does temperature impact the rate of decay?
Faster in warmer conditions and slower in colder conditions
How does moisture impact the rate of decay?
Faster in more moist conditions
How do oxygen levels impact the rate of decay?
It is more rapid in aerobic conditions
