ecology ECOSYSTEMS AND ENERGY Flashcards
ecosystems
sum of all organisms living within its boundaries + abiotic factors with which the interact; involves energy flow and chemical cycling
autotrophs
self feeders; use light energy to convert to chemical energy
heterotrophs
eat other organisms
producers
autotrophic organisms that make food
consumers
heteretrophs from several trophic levelsp
primary consumers
herbivores; eat producers
secondary consumers
eat primary consumers
omnivores
eat producers and consumers
scavengers
consumers that eat organisms recently killed by other consumers
detritivores
decomposers; help return nutrients to atmosphere, soil water
primary production
amount of light energy converted to chemical energy
gross primary production (GPP)
total primary rpdocution in an ecosystem
net primary production (NPP)
gross primary production minus energy used by producers for respiration (NPP= = GPP - R)
top down cascade
top predator (consumer) controls primary consumer population, allowing primary producers to thrive
bottom up trophic cascade
population of primary producers controls increase/decrease of energy in higher tropic levels; availability of nutrients to primary producers will affect amount of energy available to high trophic levels
