ecosystems Flashcards
ecosystems
a complex system of living organisms and their non-living environment
producer/autotroph
makes glucose through photosynthesis
can sustain itself
consumer/heterotroph
a living organism that is dependent on other sources to sustain itself since it cannot produce food
omnivore
an animal that eats both plants and meat
carnivore
an animal that mainly eats meat
herbivore
an animal that mainly eats plants
food chain
a cycle that connects all organisms in an ecosystem together by identifying who feeds on who
decomposer
fungi or mushroom that decomposes detritus
absorbs the nutrients and also releases it into the ground
plants and algae needs said nutrients to grow
photosynthesis
a process that green plants convert the sun’s solar energy into glucose/carbohydrates
primary consumer
- relies on producers/autotrophs for energy
- includes herbivores
secondary consumer
a living organism that eats primary consumers and indirectly relies on producers
includes omnivores and carnivores
population
an ecosystem made up of the same species
biomass
the mass of dry matter contained in a group of living things
detritus
waste and dead remains from plants and animals
biodiversity
the number of different species within an ecosystem
open populations
populations that are affected by limits of population factors. biotic potential, environmental factors, carrying capacity, and limits of tolerance
closed population
populations that are only affected by natality and mortality rates
ex. Global population (we can’t live on another planet)
growth ring
refers to the amount of rings there are in a trees wood
rings indicate the amount of years the tree has lived
snags
dead or dying trees that provide habitat for birds, insects, bats and raccoons
biomes
a collection of ecosystems that are similar to eachother
community
an ecosystem made up of all the different species
uneven aged stand
a stand of trees that have high levels of biodiversity in terms of height
even aged stand
a stand of trees that are the same in height
forest succession
the cycle that describes how trees replace each other after they die
when trees mature, they start to rot and die and their nutrients get absorbed by the remaining trees through the soil
ex.
- forest is cleared from fire/harvest
- small plants/grass
- low shrubs
- higher shrubs
- sun loving trees (poplar)
- shade tolerant trees (spruce)