ecology Flashcards
food web
A food web consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem.
food chain
Food webs connect many different food chains, and many different tropic levels.
producers
Producers make up the first trophic level.
autotrophs
Producers make up the first trophic level.
consumers
The next trophic levels are made up of animals that eat producers. These organisms are called consumers.
carnivore
carnivores (animals that eat other animals)
omnivore
omnivores (animals that eat both plants and animals)
trophic levels
trophic levels are made up of animals that eat producers
primary consumer
Primary consumers are herbivores
herbivore
Herbivores eat plants, algae, and other producers
secondary consumers
Secondary consumers eat herbivores
tershiary consumers
Tertiary consumers eat the secondary consumers
apex predators
Top predators, also called apex predators, eat other consumers
detritovores
Detritivores are organisms that eat nonliving plant and animal remains
scavenger
Detritivores are organisms that eat nonliving plant and animal remains
decomposers
Decomposers, like fungi and bacteria, complete the food chain. Decomposers turn organic wastes, such as decaying plants, into inorganic materials, such as nutrient-rich soil
environment
The environment is all around us. It includes all the things an organism needs to survive. Humans change the environment in many ways.
biosphere
The biosphere includes all places on Earth where life exists. We find living things in cold regions, in tropical rain forests, deserts, oceans, and in cities.
habitat
The place in which an organism lives is known as its habitat. The habitat provides the organism with food, water, and shelter. The Everglades are the habitat of the bog frog. Here, it gets lots of insects to eat and water to drink.
species
Organisms that share the same characteristics and features belong to the same species. Animals that belong to the same species can reproduce and create offspring. Pets like cats, dogs, and goldfish are each a different species.
population
A population is made up of the same kind of organisms. They live together in the same habitat.
community
Maple and oak trees are producers in a forest ecosystem. Animals like birds and deer are consumers. Small bugs live on rotten and decayed vegetation. They are decomposers.
niche
A snake’s niche includes what it eats and what environment it needs to survive. Snakes depend on warm temperatures. Snakes eat mice, lizards, birds, and eggs. They are food for eagles, owls, and hawks.
competition
In the tropical rain forest biome, there is competition for sunlight. Trees need to grow tall to absorb maximum sunlight. These trees branch out at the top, forming a canopy that prevents sunlight from reaching the forest floor, making it difficult for smaller trees to compete with them.
biotic
Biotic components are the living things that shape an ecosystem.
Abiotic
Abiotic components are the non-living factors in an environment.
predator
A predator is an animal that hunts other animals for food. Lions are the most feared and ferocious predators of the grassland biomes. They hunt animals like zebras, wildebeest, impalas, and buffalo.
prey
A prey is an animal that is hunted by other animals. In a grassland ecosystem, a mouse is the prey of a snake and the snake in turn, is preyed on by hawks.
parasite
A parasite is an organism that lives on or in another organism. It takes nourishment from its victim. Some parasites do not harm the host organism. Others may actually cause it to die or become weak and sickly.
host
A relationship in which one organism benefits at the host’s expense is called parasitism.
symbiosis
relationship between two species that interact in ways that influence each other’s evolution
parisatism
A relationship in which one organism benefits at the host’s expense is called parasitism.
mutualism
Mutualism is a relationship between two species in which both benefit from the relationship.
commensalism
Commensalism is a relationship between two organisms in which one is benefited and the other is neither benefited nor harmed. Barnacles and whales share a commensalistic relationship that benefits the barnacles.
