ECOSYSTEMS Flashcards
what is an ecosystem?
A community of animals, plants and microorganisms, together with the habitat where they live.
what is a habitat?
the place where an organism lives
what is a community?
all the living organisms in an ecosystem
what is a population?
All of the members of a single species that live within a geographical area.
what is a species?
a group of organisms which can interbreed to produce fertile offspring
what is biodiversity?
the degree of variation that exists among all living organisms on Earth
what is a producer?
a green plant which makes its own food by photosynthesis
what is a consumer?
an organism which eats other organisms to gain energy
what is a predator?
An animal which hunts, kills and eats other animals
what is a prey?
an organism that predators kill for food
what is a omnivore?
an animal which eats both plants and animals
what is a carnivore?
an animal which eats other animals (secondary consumer)
what is a herbivore?
an animal which eats plants only (primary consumer)
what does a food chain show?
the flow of energy between organisms
what does a food web show?
the energy flow through interconnected food chains in an ecosystem
what do the arrows in a food chain or web show?
direction of energy flow
what is a niche?
the role an organism plays in a community
when does competition occur?
when their niches overlap (they both try to use the same resource and the resource is in short supply)
what is inter specific competition?
The competition which occurs between organisms of different species for a common resource.
what is intra specific competition?
The competition between organisms within the same species.
what does a niche relate to?
allow more than one species access to a limited resource
what is biomass?
The mass of living material
