Ecology Flashcards
biotic factor
living
abiotic factor
whether, soil, salt, pressure
organism
individual life form
species
large group of organisms
population
all inhabitants of an area
community
a group living in the same place or that have a characteristic in common
habitat
the natural home or environment
natural selection
organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring
evolution
different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms
producers/autotrophs
plants
consumers/heterotrophs
animals, insects
primary consumer
herbivores
secondary consumer
carnivores
tertiary consumer
top predator
herbivores
plant eaters
carnivores
meat eaters
omnivores
plants/meat eaters
decomposers
organisms that decompose
food chain
series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
food web
a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.
energy pyramid
model of energy flow in a community
ecosystem
biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Carbon cycle
carbon being redistributed to nature
Nitrogen cycle
nitrogen being created and going back into nature
Ecological succession
ecosystems change and develop over time
Primary succession
the development of plant and animal life in an area without topsoil
Secondary succession
reduces an already established ecosystem to a smaller population of species
Pioneer species
hardy species which are the first to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems
Climax community
final stage of succession remaining relatively unchanged until destroyed by an event such as fire or human interference
