Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
It is the study of plants, animals and their environment, and the relationship between them
The 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
Community
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. E.g. 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 e.g. herbivore, carnivore
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 the break down dead things and release lots of minerals into the soil)
Food chain
A food chain shows how one organism eats another and so on. Food chains must start with green plants
