Ecology Notes Flashcards
Ecology
The study of interactions between organisms and the environment
Species
One type of organism
Biotic Factor
All the parts of the environment that are living
Abiotic Factors
All the parts of the environment that are nonliving
Habitat
The place where an organism lives in a community
Population
All the organisms of the same species living in the same place at the same time
Community
All the populations that live in the same place at the same time
Ecosystem
A community interacting with the abiotic parts of its environment, (all the biotic and abiotic parts of an area
Energy Pyramid
Diagram showing trophic level / level in food chain
Sun
Main source of energy for all living things
Producer
Makes its own food (autotroph)
Photosynthesis
The process of food making in producers
Sunlight + CO₂ (carbon dioxide) + H₂O (Water) →
sugar (energy) + O₂ (Oxygen)
Consumer
An organism that eats other organisms (heterotroph)
Herbivore
An organism that only eats plants
Carnivore
An organism that only eats animals
Scavenger
An organism that eats organisms that are already dead.
Omnivore
An organism that eats both plants and animals.
Decomposer
An organism that breaks down the remains of dead plants and animals (recycles)
Food Chain
The transfer o energy (food) form one organism to another
Food Web
When different chains overlaps
Competition
The contest among organisms to get all they need to survive
Niche
The role (job) a species has within a community
Predator
An organism that kills and eats prey to obtain energy
Prey
An organism that gets eaten by a predator
Limiting Factors
An environmental factor that causes the population to decrease
Symbiosis
A relationship where food, shelter, support or transportation is provided for one or both organisms.
Natural Selection
The struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources
Process in which a species becomes better suited to its environment.
