Definitions Flashcards
Herbivore
An animal that eat plants (producers) and is therefore a primary consumer
Carnivore
An animal that eats animals and may therefore be a secondary or a tertiary consumer
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals and is therefore a primary consumer and also a secondary or a tertiary consumer.
Biomass
Energy is passed between other organisms
Producers
Photosynthetic organisms that manufacture organic substances using light energy, water, co2 and mineral ions.
Consumers
Organisms that obtain their energy by feeding on other organisms rather than using the energy of sunlight directly. Animals are consumers.
Primary consumers
First in the chain of consumers and directly eat producers
Secondary consumers
Animals eating primary consumers
Tertiary consumers
Eat secondary consumers
Saprobionts
(Decomposers) - group of organisms that break down the complex materials in dead organisms into simple ones, they release valuable minerals and elements in a form that can be absorbed by plants and so contribute to recycling. Carried out by fungi and bacteria.
Food chain
Feeding relationship in which the producers are eaten by primary consumers, in longer food chains tertiary consumers may be eaten by quaternary consumers.
Trophic level
Each stage in the food chain
What do the arrow represent in food chains?
Direction of energy flow
Food webs
Food chains will be linked together to form a food web in a single habitat. They are complex.
Biomass
Total mass of living materials in a specific area at a given time.
