Ecosystems Flashcards
Abiotic
Non-living organisms
Biotic
Living organisms
Niche
A comfortable or suitable position in the environment
Parasite
an organism which lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense.
Host
an organism which lives in or on another organism and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense.
Ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Predator
an animal that naturally preys on others.
Prey
an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food.
Mutualism
symbiosis which is beneficial to both organisms involved.
Commensalism
an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm
Symbiosis
A relationship between 2 animals
Parasitism
One benefits and the other is harmed
Chemosynthetic
describes organisms that produce organic material using energy released from chemical reactions rather than light
Food chains
diagram that shows how the energy stored in one organism is passed to another
Food web
diagram showing several food chains joined together to demonstrate that animals eat more than one type of food
Trophies level
a level within a food chain, food web or food pyramid
First order
organism that is within the second trophic level of a food chain (herbivores); also known as a primary consumer
Primary consumers
the first consumer in a food chain; also known as a first-order consumer
Second order
organism that is within the third trophic level of a food chain (carnivores); also known as a secondary consumer
Secondary consumer
the second consumer in a food chain; also known as a second-order consumer
Energy pyramid
a representation of the level of food energy at each level within a food chain
Pyramid of numbers
a representation of the population, or numbers of organisms, at each level within a food chain
Pyramid of biomass
a representation of the dry mass of organisms at each level within a food chain