Ecology Flashcards
What is a producer?
An organism that is able to form nutritional substance for its survival
Define prey:
An animal that is hunted and killed by another for food
Define biodiversity:
The variety of life in the world or a particular place
Defied food chain:
a hierarchical series of organisms in order of dependency on the next as a source of food
Define primary consumer:
The herbivores
Define secondary consumers:
Eat primary consumers (carnivores)
Define a tertiary consumer:
A carnivore at the topmost level in a food chain that feeds on other carnivores in the secondary consumer level. (Dependent)
Define heterotroph:
An organism that derives its nutrients form other organisms (cannot make its own food)
Define predator:
An animal that naturally preys on anther animal for survival
Herbivore:
An organism that only consumes greens / plant eaters (eg giraffe)
Carnivores:
Only eats meat (lion)
Omnivore:
Eats both plants and animals.
Define carrying capacity:
Number of people, living things, and resources that a region can support without harming the environment.
Population:
A group of the same species living in an ecosystem
Ecosystem:
A community of interacting organisms consisting of similar individuals
Community;
An association of populations of two or more different species in the same area
Biotic:
Any living thing
Abiotic
A non living thing
Habitat:
The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism
Niche:
A role a species had in its environment (ex: how it meets its needs for food and shelter, how it survives, & how it reproduces) also includes interactions with biotic and abiotic factors of its environment
Competition:
An interaction between organisms in which the fitness of one is lowered by the presence of an other
What is the carbon cycle for plants
Co2 + h20 + sunlight –> glucose + o2
Carbon cycle for animals and is:
Glucose + o2 –> Co2 + H2o
Water cycle:
Evaporation - condensation - precipitation - run off - seepage - root uptake (seepage joins larger bodies of water)
What does an energy cycle show?
The energy TRANSFERED from each lrganism as you go up the pyramid
How much does each organism loose as you go up the pyramid?
It starts at 100, then 10, then 1 then 0.1 and so on. (Starting at a producer) for 100
Symbiotic relationship;
An interaction that can either benefit it or be harmful. They are essential .
Limiting factor:
Environment conditions that limit the living condition of an ecosystem
What soil is best for planting
Top soil because it allows water to seep to the plants roots and oxygen reaches the plant also
How does acid rain form
By a chemical reaction that begins when compounds are released into the air and they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to for acidic pollutants
What is ph:
A measure of the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution
What is bio accumulation ?
The build up of substances like pesticides or other chemicals in an organism
Bio magnification:
Is the concentration of toxins in an organism
