Chapter 6 Flashcards
What is a Biological Community?
all species living “together” at the same time
What is an Ecosystem?
a biological community and its environment (biotic and abiotic factors)
What is productivity?
the amount of energy (accumulated material) and other biomass in a given area over a given time
- The “economy” of the biosphere
What are primary producers?
(autotrophic) are plants and photosynthesis bacteria - the lowest trophic level
What are Secondary Producers?
(or primary consumers herbivores) feed on plants
What are tertiary producers?
(or secondary consumers carnivores) feed on herbivores
What are Quaternary producers?
(or tertiary consumers; top carnivores) feed at the apex (top) of the food web
What are Omnivores?
animals that feed at various trophic levels
What are Decomposers?
Break down the remains of other organisms into smaller particles called detritus
fungus decomposing plumeria leaves
What are Detritovores?
Feed on detritus (Organic matter produced by the decomposition of organisms)
Sea cucumber consume sediment and digest out the organic materials from reef flats
The term ______________ used to quantify the amount of carbon locked into biomass - the amount fixed by photosynthesis
“production”
What is Gross primary production?
total amount of fixed carbon
What is Net primary production?
the amount left to support other trophic levels (GPP - growth and maintenance respiration by plants)
what plants give to others
What is the most important trophic level of organisms that remove and recycle the dead bodies and waste products of others?
Parasites
Scavengers
Decomposers
What is shown for the energy pyramid?
% energy captured at each level
What is 10% assimilate rule?
Ecological productivity
More primary producers compared to top consumers
- EX: 100,000 primary producers vs 1 top consumer
Consequently, only the most ___________ or ________________ can support top predators
productive; very extensive ecosystems
What is Top down control?
directional regulation within an ecosystem
- where species occupying higher trophic levels exert controlling influences on species at the next lower trophic level
Note: when removing the top predators’ population, it would cause lower levels to rapidly grow out of control and over consume consumers or producers below its level.
What is primary productivity?
the amount of carbon fixed/area/time
Species within an ecosystem can be classified into ___________ according to what they feed on.
Trophic levels
Note: A particular species may feed at more than 1 trophic level