Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
Is the study of plants, animals and their environment, and the relationship between them.
Environment
Is everything that surrounds an animal or plant (for example air, water, rocks and soil)
Habitat
Is the place where a plant or animal lives
Woodland habitat
Each habitat has its own community of organisms. For example hedgehogs, snails, foxes and primroses belong to the woodland habitat.
Seaside habitat
Crabs, seaweed, shrimps and starfish would be found in this habitat.
Interdependence
Is how organisms depend on each other for their survival. For example buttercups depend on bees, bees need buttercups.
Ecosystem
All the plants and animals in an area interacting with each other and their environment. For example desert, tropical rainforest, grasslands and seashore.
Producer
Plants that make their own food. For example grass, dandelion, nettles.
Consumer
Animals that get their food by eating plants or other animals.
Herbivore
An animal that eats plants only. For example rabbit, sheep, slug, snail.
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals only. For example fox, hawk, ladybird.
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals. For example badger, thrush, blackbird, humans.
Decomposer
Organisms that feed on dead plants and animals. For example earthworms, bacteria, fungi. (Decomposes are very important as they break down dead things and release lots of minerals into the soil).
Food Chain
Shows how one organism eats another and so on
Food chains must start with green plants
Because they are the only things that can make food.
Feeding level
The position of an organism in the food chain.
The first feeding level
Is always a green plant.
Sun
The energy in any food chain comes from the sun.
Plants have the most energy
As they make it from the sun.
Each step
Loses more and more energy.
Inter- connected
Single food chains are rare, most are inter- connected.
Food web
Is two or more interconnected food chains.
Competition
Occurs when two or more organism seek a resource that is limited.
Plants compete
For light, water, minerals and space.
Animals compete
For food, shelter, territory and mates.
Adaptations
Are features that give an organism a better chance of surviving in their habitat.
The dandelion has a long root
Which means it reaches below the short root of grass to get water.
Dandelions are able to compete for space
Because they are able to spread their seeds in the wind.
Hedgehogs have an excellent sense of smell
To make them good at finding food.
Hedgehogs have spikes
To fight off predators.
Camouflage (hedgehogs)
Hedgehogs have a colour which makes them camouflaged so predators can’t find them easily.
Conservation
Is the protection, preservation and careful use of our natural resources.
Our natural resources
Include land, rivers, seas, plants and animals.
If we don’t protect our natural resources
The environment could be destroyed and plants and animals may become extinct.
Pollution
Is adding unwanted wastes to the environment causing damage to it.
Air pollution
Caused by smoke, dust and harmful gases- most of these come from cars, buses, factories and power stations.
Acid rain
(Carbonic and sulphuric acid) damages plants and buildings.
Soil Pollution
Is caused by pesticides, artificial fertilisers and acid rain.
Water pollution
Rivers, lakes and seas are polluted by fertilisers, sewage, oil and detergents.
Fertilisers
Seep into rivers and cause too much plant growth, bacteria populations boom as they feed on dead plants and no oxygen is left for fish.
Incineration
Burning the waste, this can release dangerous gases into the atmosphere, difficulties with location nobody wants to live near an incinerator.
Landfill
Burying the waste in the ground- damages soil, rivers and ground water, attracts rodents, disease causing, bad smell, difficulties as nobody wants to live near landfill sites.
Recycling
Paper, glass, some metals and plastics can be processed and reused.
Reduce
Use your own bag, do not pick the items with extra packaging (use less extra packaging).
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
To make sure that we do not damage our environment and that future generations will have a nice place to live.
