B18- Humans In The Ecosystem Flashcards
What is a producer?
Organisms that make their own food
What is a food chain?
A representation of the feeding relationships in a community
What is a consumer?
An organism that eats other organisms for food
What is a herbivore?
An organism that only eats producers
What is a predator?
An organism that kills and eats other organisms
What is a prey organism?
An organism killed and eaten by a predator
What is an apex predator?
A carnivore with no predators
What is the carbon cycle?
A process that returns carbon from organisms to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is then used by plants
What is the water cycle?
Processes that provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into seas and rivers
What is percolation?
Water trickling through gaps in solid rocks
What is biodiversity?
The variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth or within an ecosystem
What is the advantage of high biodiversity?
Ensures stability of ecosystems as it reduces the dependence of one species on another for resources
How are humans maintaining biodiversity?
Breeding programmes, protection of rare habitats, reintroduction of hedgerows, reducing deforestation, recycling resources
Why are more resources being used and more waste water produced by humans?
Rapid growth in population and improved standard of living
How are humans reducing land available for other organisms?
Building, quarrying, farming and dumping waste (landfill)
