ch.5 Flashcards
photosynthesis
the process by which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and energy in the form of sugar
producer
an organism that produces. (makes) its own food
consumer
any organism that can’t make its own food. Consumers have to feed on producers or other consumers to survive.
decomposer
organism that breaks down dead organic material
cellular respiration
the process by which organisms combine oxygen with foodstuff molecules
food chain
the sequence of transfers of matter and energy in the form of food from organism to organism.
food web
a detailed description of the species within a community and their relationships with each other
trophic level
Trophic level, step in a nutritive series, or food chain, of an ecosystem. The organisms of a chain are classified into these levels on the basis of their feeding behavior
carbon cycle
nature’s way of reusing carbon atoms,
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
prokaryotic microorganisms that are capable of transforming nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into “fixed nitrogen” compounds,
nitrogen cycle
a repeating cycle of processes during which nitrogen moves through both living and non-living things
phosphorus cycle
The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere
ecological succession
the process that describes how the structure of a biological community
primary succession
the orderly and predictable series of events through which a stable ecosystem forms in a previously uninhabited region.
secondary succession
the process relating to community growth or change that takes place when a habitat is disturbed or damaged.
