Ecology Flashcards
Environment
Is everything that surrounds an animal or plant (for example air,water rocks and soil
Ecology
Is the study of plants,animals and their environment and the relationship between them
Habitat
The place where a plant or animal lives
What organisms live In a woodland habitat
Hedgehogs,snails,foxes,oak,ash and beech trees and also primroses
Interdependence
Is how organisms depend on each other for their survival example buttercups need bees and bees need buttercups
Ecosystem
All the plants and animals in an area interacting with each other and their environment .E.g. Desert,tropical rainforest,grassland,seashore
Producer
Plants that make their own food e.g grass and nettles
Consumer
Animals that get their food by eating plants or other animals e.g herbivore and carnivore
Herbivore
An animal that eats plants only e.g rabbit,sheep slug,snail
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals only e.g. Fox,hawk,ladybird
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals .e.g badger,thrush,blackbird,humans
Decomposer
Organisms that feed on dead plants and animals e.g earthworms,bacteria ,fungi (Decomposers 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 an so on,must start with green plants
Feeding level
The position of an organism in a food chain
Food web
A food web is two or more interconnected food chains
Competition
When two or more organisms seek a resource that is limited e.g. Light,water,minerals,,space and home.Animals compete for food,shelter,territory and mates
Adaptation
Adaptations are features that give an organism a better chance of surviving in their habitat
How are dandelions adapted to their surroundings
They have a long root which means it reaches below the short root of grass to get water
Conservation
Conservation is the protection,preservation and careful use of our natural resources
Our natural resources
Land,rivers,seas,plants and animals
Pollution
Is adding unwanted wastes to the environment causing damage to it
Air pollution
Cause by smoke,dust and harmful gases - most of these come from cars,buses,factories and power stations
Acid rain
When fossil fuels are burned they produce gases called carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide these dissolve in rain water to form carbonic acid and sulfuric acid
Damage acid rain can do
Dissolve plants and buildings
Soil pollution
Caused by pesticides artificial fertilisers and acid rain
Water pollution
Rivers,lakes and seas are polluted by fertilisers,sewage,oil and detergents
Household waste
Rubbish
Medical waste
Can cause disease
Industrial waste
Can be toxic and kill fish
Nuclear wastes
Radioactive
Incineration
Burning the wastes,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 and rivers and ground water,attracts rodents,disease causing,bad smell,difficulties as nobody want to live near landfill sites
Recycling
Paper,glass,some metals and plastic can be processed and recycled and reused (made into something else)
Reduce
To use less and use your own bag,do not pick the items with extra packaging
Pollutant
The object of pollution e.g. Sewage in a river
