☀️Ecology - food chain🌿 Flashcards
Ecology
The study of the interaction between living things and their environment
Biosphere
Part of the planet in which life is found
Contains many ecosystems
Population
All the members of the same species in an area
Community
Contains many different populations
Ecosystem
A community of living organisms interacting with one another
Eg the earth
Why is the earth an ecosystem
Because no part of it is truly isolated from the rest
What is the global ecosystem
The biosphere
Habitat
Place within the ecosystem where the organism lives
Niche
The functional role of an organism in an ecosystem
What is the term ‘niche’ decribing
The population in an ecosystem
Abiotic
Non living factors
Biotic
Living factors
Climatic
weather conditions that affect the community in an ecosystem
Abiotic factors include
Temperature
Currents
Wind speed
Altitude
Biotic factors include
Predators and prey
Climate factors include
Temperature
Rainfall
Wind
Edaphic factors include
Soil type
Soil pH
Edaphic
Soil
Aquatic environmental factors
Currents
Wave action
Sun
Primary source of energy for the planet
Ecosystems are unable to function unless there is a
Constant input of energy from an external source
Food web
Series of interlinked food chains
A Grazing food chain
Is one where the initial plant is living
A detritus food chain
Is one where the food chain begins with dead organic matter
Trophic level
This refers to the position of an organism in a food chain
1st trophic level
Plants
2nd trophic level
Herbivores
3rd trophic level (T3)
Carnivores that eat herbivores
T4
Top carnivore
Pyramid of numbers
A diagram that represents the numbers of organisms at eavh trophic level in a food chain
Bottom layer
Primary producers
Top layer
Tertiary consumer
When plants and animals die the nutrient water is
Not wasted
