Ecology Flashcards
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Ecosystem
A living thing in an ecosystem that affects its surroundings
Biotic Factor
A nonliving thing in an ecosystem that affects its surroundings
Abiotic Factor
An individual plant, animal, or single-celled life form
living thing, being
Organism
Grouping of specific animal ex. Homo Sapiens
Species
The amount of inhabitants of a specific species in a certain area
Population
Group of interdependent organisms living together in an area
Community
Natural home of a plant, animal, or other organism
Habitat
Process where those best equipped to their environment and possible changes in that environment will survive, while those who aren’t will not (survival of the fittest)
Natural Selection
Process where organisms changed over time to adapt to their surroundings
Evolution
Organism that makes its own food by way of photosynthesis
Producer
Organism that gets food by consuming other organisms
Consumer
Consumers that are primarily herbivores
Primary Consumers
Consumers that eat primary consumers; can be carnivores or omnivores
Secondary Consumers
Consumer at the top of the food chain that preys on secondary consumers
Tertiary Consumers
Consumers that only eat meat
Carnivores
Consumers that eat meat and plants
Omnivores
Consumers that only eat plants
Herbivores
Organism that decomposes organic material
Decomposer
Series of organisms that are dependent on the organism before them for food
Food Chain
System of combined food chains in an ecosystem
Food Web
Shows how energy flows throughout an ecosystem from the bottom (producers) to the top (tertiary consumers)
Energy Pyramid
Processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment
Carbon Cycle
Processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment
Nitrogen Cycle
Ecological succession taking place after the opening of a barren and and uninhabited environment
Primary Succession
Event that reduces an established ecosystem into just a collection of a few species
Secondary Succession
Species which are the first to colonize previously damaged or disrupted ecosystems
Pioneer Species
Community in the final stage of succession, remaining mostly unchanged until destroyed by a disaster such as a fire or human interference
Climax Community
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Ecosystem
