Ecology Flashcards
Food chain
one possible path that energy and nutrients may take as they move through the ecosystem.
Food web
consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem.
Producers
make their own food and do not depend on any other organism for nutrition.
Autotrophs
make their own food and do not depend on any other organism for nutrition.
Consumers
eat other organisms for food.
trophic level
the grouping of organisms in a food web based on their role.
carnivore
animals that eat other animals
omnivore
animals that eat both animals and plants
Herbivores
eat plants, algae, and other producers.
primary consumer
are herbivores, eat plants and other producers.
Secondary consumers
eat the herbivores or other primary consumers.
Tertiary consumers
eat the secondary consumers.
apex predators
eat other consumers, They may be at the fourth or fifth trophic level. top consumer or top predator.
detritivores
are organisms that eat nonliving plant and animal remains? For example, scavengers such as vultures eat dead animals. Dung beetles eat animal feces.
decomposers
They complete the cycle of life, returning nutrients to the soil or oceans for use by autotrophs. This starts a whole new series of food chains.