Ecological Terms & Concepts Flashcards
Ecology
The study of the relationship between living organisms and their environment
Environment
The sum of all the external factors that affect an organism
Biotic Factors
Not alive / Ex : Weather , Competition , Disease
Abiotic Factors
Living organisms : Plants / Animals
Population
The members of one species in a given area
Community
All the living organisms in a given area
Ecosystem
Complex of living and non living environmental components interacting and closely interdependent in any fairly stable situation [Ex: roting log, forest, human skin]
Producers
Autotrophs - usually green / plants make their own food by photosynthesis / converts light into energy
Consumers
Heterotrophs - Rely on food from other sources / usually animals
Primary consumers
Herbivores
Secondary consumers
Carnivores
Omnivores
Eat both
Decomposers
Usually bacteria or fungi - break down waste or dead remains / recycle chemicals back into ecosystem
Food Chain
Made up of sun producers consumers and decomposers
Food Web
Complex of food chains from the sun to producers of various types consumers of various types and decomposers of various types.
Ecological Pyramid
At each step in the food chain there are fewer organisms
There are more producers than primary consumers
There are more primary consumers than secondary
At each step energy is converted
At each step energy is lost as heat
Therefore; Fodo chains are short
