ecology Flashcards
food web
consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem
food chain
one possible path that energy and nutrients may take as they move through the ecosystem
trophic leval
categories of Organisms in food webs
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
carnivore
animals that eat other animals
omnivores
animals that eat both plants and animals
consumers
eat other organizims for food
Primary consumers
eat plants, algae, and other producers
Herbivores
eat plants, algae, and other producers
Secondary consumers
eat herbivores
Tertiary consumers
eat the secondary consumers
apex predators
Top predators
Detritivores
eat nonliving plant
scavengers
eat dead animals
Decomposers
turn organic wastes, such as decaying plants, into inorganic materials, such as nutrient-rich soil
Ecosystem
all of the living and nonliving parts of the environment that interact with each other
Ecology
the study of how organisms interact with their environment and with other organisms
Dominant species
a group of organisms that outnumbers/dominates the other species in the area
Environment
The environment is all around us. It includes all the things an organism needs to survive
Biosphere
The biosphere includes all places on Earth where life exists.
Habitat
The place in which an organism lives is known as its habitat.
Species
Organisms that share the same characteristics and features belong to the same 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
Niche
A snake’s niche includes what it eats and what environment it needs to survive
Competition
In the tropical rain forest biome, there is competition for sunlight
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
Prey
A prey is an animal that is hunted by other animals
Parasite
Mosquitoes do not cause disease themselves. They transmit infection by passing on parasites from one host to another
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
Parasitism
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
