Ecosystems Flashcards
The living components of an ecosystem
Biotic
The non-living components of an ecosystem.
Abiotic
A single living thing.
Organism
A group of different populations interacting in an ecosystem.
Community
A group of organisms of the same species in an ecosystem.
Population
All the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the non-living components of the environment with which they interact.
Ecosystem
A region of land with characteristic climate, soil and organisms.
Biome
The area on and around earth that can sustain life.
Biosphere
The role of an organism in an ecosystem.
Niche
Plants that use energy from the sun to make nutrients they need to survive.
Producer
Organisms that eat food made by producers.
Consumer
An animal that eats only plant material.
Herbivore
An animal that eats only other animals.
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals and plant material.
Omnivore
An organism that catches and eats other organisms of a different species.
Predator
An organism that is caught and eaten by another organism of a different species.
Prey
An organism that eats dead or decaying plant or animal matter.
Scavenger
Organisms that break down the cells of dead or waste materials and absorbs their nutrients.
Decomposer
A sequence of feeding relationships among living organisms, as they pass on food energy.
Food chain
The network of feeding relationships among organisms.
Food web
An interaction between two organisms of different species living in close proximity that lasts over time.
Symbiosis
A symbiotic relationship in which one of the partners benefits and the other is harmed.
Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship in which both partners benefit.
Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship in which one partner benefits and the other is indifferent.
Commensalism
A pyramid showing the number of organisms at each level of a food chain.
Energy pyramid
The process by which new species gradually replace old species in an ecosystem.
Succession
When succession occurs with already existing soil.
Secondary succession
Sustainability
Eats plants
Primary consumer
Eats meat
Secondary consumer
