Ecology Flashcards
What are abiotic factors
Non living parts of an environment
Whales, trees and humans are ______ factors
Biotic factors
What are biotic factors
All living organisms found in an environment
Ocean currents, temperature and soil are ______ factors
Abiotic factors
What is ecology
The scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environment.
Food chains always start with __________
Producers
How can you estimate population size
By using quadrats at random points
Define: A habitat
The place where an organism lives
Define: A population
All the organisms of one species in a habitat
Define: A community
All the different species in a habitat
Define: An ecosystem
All the organisms living in a particular area and all the non-living conditions
What makes a producer a producer
They make their own food using energy from the sun
What are producers eaten by
Primary consumers
What are primary consumers eaten by
Secondary consumers
What are secondary consumers eaten by
Tertiary consumers
All organisms eventually die and get eaten by ______________
Decomposers
What is each stage (producer, primary consumer, etc.) known as?
Trophic levels
Describe a pyramid of numbers
Each trophic level represents the amount of organisms
Sometimes it’s not even a pyramid at all
Describe a pyramid of biomass
Each trophic level represents the total biomass of all organisms in that level
Almost always a pyramid
Describe a pyramid of energy
A pyramid of energy represents the amount of energy transferred to each trophic level in a food chain
Always a pyramid
Why is most energy lost before being transferred
Some parts of food are indigestible
Lots of energy is used for respiration
Lots is lost as heat
Which type of energy is transferred
Biomass. Energy which is stored or used for growth
What do food webs do
Show are food chains are linked
