Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
The study of interrelationships between organisms and their physical environment.
Ecosystem
The interaction of different populations of the same
species in a shared environment.
Producers
Producers, such as green plants, use sunlight in
the photosynthesis process to create their own food.
The Producers are the food for Consumers, such as animals, which can’t make their own food.
Herbivores
Animals that eat only vegetation. They have
teeth and digestive systems adapted for processing
plants. Examples of herbivores include rabbits, cows,
and squirrels.
Carnivores
Carnivores are animals that feed only on the flesh of other animals. They have powerful jaws and teeth. Examples of carnivores are tigers, wolves, and hyenas.
Omnivores
Human beings, bodies are capable of meeting nutritional needs using both plants and animal matter.
Decomposers
When animals die, the dead organic matter is
broken down by Decomposers, such as fungi. During
this process of decay, Decomposers reintroduce minerals
back into the soil in the ecosystem.
Biomes
Established ecological systems that
extend over a large geographical area and are characterized by a dominant type of vegetation or climatic condition. Organisms in a biome are adapted to the climate associated with the region
Tropical rainforest
Biome - constant precipitation and high temperatures, with many plant species
Arctic Tundra
Biome - treeless plains surrounding the Arctic Ocean, with permanently frozen subsoil.
Deciduous
Biome - leaf-shedding forests in mild climates
Desert
Biome - environment with irregular or infrequent
rainfall and high temperatures
Grassland
Biome - areas with rainfall insufficient to support
many trees; grass species dominate
Marine
Biome - oceans and seas
Taiga
Biome - evergreen forests that survive long winters
