Ch 12 - Interactions Within Ecosystems Flashcards
What is a habitat?
A place where an organism lives
What are the 2 classifications of environmental conditions?
- abiotic (non-living)
- biotic (living)
What are abiotic factors?
physical environment:
* mineral salts and salinity
* pH
* water
* air
* light
* temperature
mp walt … disney is now a member of parliament guys
What are two types of adaptive traits/adaptations?
- physical
- behavioral
What is an organism?
a living thing
What is a population?
It is made up of organisms of the same species living in the same environment.
What is a community?
It is made up of different populations (of plants and animals) living together in the same environment.
What is an ecosystem?
It is made up of interactions between communities and the abiotic factors in the environment.
What are the levels in an ecosystem?
- organism
- population
- community
- ecosystem
What is the biotic environment?
It refers to all organisms in a habitat.
What are 3 examples of interrelationships?
- Predator-prey relationship
- Mutualism
- Parasitism
What is a predator-prey relationship?
- predator: animal that lives by killing & eating other animals
- prey: animal that is killed and eaten by another animal
What are examples of predator-prey relationships?
- ladybird (predator), aphid (prey)
- leopard (predator), deer (prey)
What is mutualism?
It is a relationship between 2 organisms in which both organisms benefit from eachother.
What are examples of mutualism?
- oxpeckers eat ticks & parasites on skin, rhino and zebra get pest control
- clownfish eat dead tentacles - clean, poisonous tentacles protect clownfish
What is parasitism?
It is a relationship between two organisms in which the parasite benefits at the expense of the host, without killing it.
What are examples of parasitism?
- tapeworms in animal’s intestines - deprives host from nutrients
- rafflesia obtains its nutrients from vines & emits horrible smell
How do you achieve a stable ecosystem?
If the physical factors and interrelationships in an ecosystem can be maintained.
What happens if there is a drastic change in the interrelationships or physical environment?
It would disrupt the stability of the ecosystem.
What does a food chain show?
It shows the feeding relationships between organisms.
What is each stage in a food chain known as?
a trophic level
What is the first trophic level called?
producer
What is the second trophic level called?
primary consumer
What is the third trophic level called?
secondary consumer
What is the fourth trophic level called?
tertiary consumer
What is a food web?
It is made of inter-linked food chains.
During feeding, what is transferred from one organism to another?
energy and nutrients
How much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?
10%
What are 3 ways energy can be lost at each trophic level?
- as excretory products
- as heat during respiration
- as uneaten parts of the organism
How much energy is lost from one trophic level to the next?
90%
Why do food chains seldom have more than five trophic levels?
There is insufficient enrgy among the animals at the end of a long food chain to be transferred to another animal for survival.
What do decomposers feed on?
the remains of dead organisms and faeces
The flow of energy in a food chain / food web is…
non-cyclical (energy flows in one direction)
The flow of nutrients in an ecosystem is…
cyclical (continuously recycled)
What are 3 ways the balance of an ecosystem can be upset?
- introduction of new animals and plants into the habitat
- disease outbreaks, which can kill one kind of animal/plant
- human activities (deforestation, hunting, over-fishing)
