CHAPTER 17 Flashcards
What are producers
organisms that take in energy form the sun and provide food for other animals
why is green algae a producer
it absorbs light from the sun for photosynthesis, creates glucose for itself so it grows and is then eaten by other animals
transferring it biomass
what are the main producers in the ocean 2
algae and phytoplankton
what are primary consumers
the animals that eat the producers
what type of animals are primary consumers
herbivores
what are secondary consumers
animals that eat other animals
what type od animals are secondary consumers
carnivores
what are tertiary consumers
very large carnivores that eat the secondary consumers
problems for primary consumers
it is difficult to break down cellulose
must break down cell wall to get to contents
it is sometimes difficult to find enough plant matte
main problem for secondary and tertiary consumers
animals move around - they must hunt
cycle of predators and prey in a stable community
if there is lots of food available the number of prey increases as they can grow and breed successfully
plenty of food available for predators so they breed and grow successfully, their populations increase
a large number of predators = less prey so their number falls
fewer prey= predators numbers fall
fewer predators allow prey to breed and grow successfully - their numbers increase
what are the decomposers
a group of organisms that break own animal waste, dead animals and plants
what 4 chemicals are living things mainly made from
hydrogen
carbon
oxygen
nitrogen
what does the decay process do
it ensures that any element taken out of the ecosystem by an organism in its lifetime are returned
why is it important that nitrogen and co2 are returned to the environment
plant use nitrogen for growth and co2 for photosynthesis
process of the water cycle
energy from the sun makes water evaporate
it condenses as it rises to form clouds as precipitation
animals drink water r
released from animals eg respiration/urinating
drains into sea
process repeats
what are all the main molecules in our bodies made from
carbon mixed with other element
why is the carbon cycle under threat
as we release more fossil fuels into the air there are fears that the carbon cycle may not be able to regulate itself
