ecology Flashcards
ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
biotic factor
a factor created by a living thing or any living component within an environment in which action of the organism
abioctic factor
non living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems
organism
an individual living thing that can react to stimuli reproduce grow and maintain homeostasis
species
fundamental category of taxonomi classification ranking below a genus or sub genus
population
a group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time
community
an interacting group of various species in a common location
habitat
place where an organism or biological population normally lives or occurs
natural selection
the process in nature by which according to Darwin theory of evolution the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive
evolution
the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations
producers/autotrophs
an organism capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances using light or chemical energy
consumers/heterotrophs
an organism that cannot manufacturer its own food and instead obtains its food an d energy by taking in organic substances usually plant or animal matter
primary consumer
living organism all organisms that are classified as herbivores also called plant eaters
secondary consumer
any organism that consumes or feeds largely on primary consumers as well as autotrophs supplement
tertiary consumer
a carnivore at the topmost level in a food chain that feeds on other carnivores
herbivores
any organism that eats only plants
carnivores
an animal or plant that requires a straple diet consisting of animal tissue
omnivores
animal that eats both plants an animals for their main food
decomposers
an organism especially a soil bacterium fungus or invertebrate the decomposes organic material
food chain
a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
food web
a graphical model showing the interconnected chains in an ecological community
energy pyramid
graphical model of energy flow in a community
carbon cycle
the combined processes including photosynthesis decomposition and by which carbon as compent of various compounds cycles
nitrogen cycle
a continuous series of natural processes by which nitrogen passes successfully from air to soil to organisms and back
