Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
Ecology is the study of plants,animals and their environment, and the relationship between them
Environment
The environment is everything that surrounds an animal or plant (for example air, water, rocks and soil)
Habitat
The habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives
Different types of habitat
Each habitat has its own community of organisms. Community is all the different populations that live in the habitat. E.g hedgehogs, snails, foxes and primroses belong to the Woodland habitat.
Interdependence
Interdependence is how organisms depend on each other for their survival. Buttercups depend on bees (for food), bees need buttercups (for pollination).
Ecosystem
All the plants and animals in an area interacting with each other and their environment. E.g. desert, tropical rainforest, grasslands, seashore.
Biome
An ecosystem that extends over a very large area is called a biome. E.g. rainforest.
Biosphere
All of the Earth’s ecosystems together form one large ecosystem known as the biosphere.
Producer
Plants that make their own food e.g. grass, dandelion, nettles
Consumer
Animals that get their food by eating plants or other animals
Herbivore
An animal that eats plants only e.g. rabbit, sheep, slug, snail
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals only e.g. fox, hawk, ladybird
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals e.g. badger, thrush, blackbird, humans.
Decomposer
Organisms that feed on dead plants and animals e.g. earthworms, bacteria, fungi. (Decomposers are very important as they break down dead things and release lots of minerals into the soil).
Food chains
A food chain shows how one organism eats another and so on. Food chains must start with green plants because they are the only things that can make food.
Feeding levels
The position of an organism in the food chain is called its feeding level. The amount of energy gets less and less as you go along the food chain.
Food web
A food web is two or more interconnected food chains
Competition
Competition occurs when two or more organisms seek a resource that is limited. Plants compete for light, Waterman’s minerals and space. Animals compete for food, shelter, territory and mates.
