Chapter 4: Ecology I Flashcards
Ecology
Study of interaction between organisms and their environment
Biosphere
This is the part of the earth where organisms can live
Ecosystem
A group of clearly distinguished organisms that interact with their environment as a unit.A wide variety of ecosystems exist - woodland,bog,meadow,rocky seashore
Habitat
Is the place where an organism lives
Community
A group of populations
Population
A group of organisms of one species
Producer
An organism that makes their own food by photosynthesis
Consumers
An organism that obtains it’s good from another organism
Herbivore
An animal that eats plants only
Carnivore
An animal that eats animals
Omnivore
An animal that eats plants and animals
Predator
An organism that kills and eats another organism
Decomposers
An organism that feeds off dead plants and animals
Abiotic Factors
The non-living factors which affect organisms
Biotic Factors
Factors associated with the presence and activities of the organisms
Edaphic Factors
Relate to properties of soil
Food chain
A series of organism connected together in a feeding relationship
Food web
A series of interconnecting food chains
Trophic level
Is a feeding stage in a food chain
Pyramid of numbers
A bar diagram indicating the number of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain
Niche
How an organism fits into its ecosystem
Adaptation
Any alternation that improves an organisms chance of survival and reproduction
Pollution
Is any harmful addition to the environment by human activity
Conservation
The wise management of the environment/existing resources to maintain biodiversity
