-Ecosystems- Flashcards
What does abiotic mean?
Relating to non-living things.
What does biotic mean?
Relating to living things.
What is a consumer?
Creature that eats animals and/or plant matter.
What is a decomposer?
An organism such as a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead tissue, which is then recycled to the environment.
What is an ecosystem?
A community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment.
What is a food-chain?
The connections between different organisms (plants and animals) that rely on one another as their source of food.
What is a food-web?
A complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food.
What is nutrient cycling?
A set of processes whereby organisms extract minerals necessary for growth from soil or water, before passing them on through the food chain - and ultimately back to the soil and water. This cannot be done without the entire food-web or chain being complete.
What is a global ecosystem?
Very large ecological areas on the earth’s surface (or biomes), with fauna and flora (animals and plants) adapting to their environment. Examples include tropical rainforest and hot desert.
What is a producer?
An organism or plant that is able to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis.
