Ecosystems Flashcards
Ecosystem
All the plants and animals in an area and their habitats
Community
All of the organisms of different species living in an area
Population
The number of organisms of the same species living in an area
Organism
An individual belonging to a species
Habitat
Where an organism usually lives and can be made up of living and non living parts
Sampling
A subset of a population is measured to make estimates on the whole ecosystem
Biotic factor
A living component that affects another organism or shapes the ecosystem
Abiotic factor
Non living chemical and physical parts of an environment that affect organisms and the ecosystem
Example of biotic factor
Grazing
Competition
Example of abiotic factors
Light intensity
Wind speed
Indicator species
A species that shows the environmental conditions of an area by its presence
organism
an individual belonging to a species
population
the number of organisms of the same species living in an area
species richness
number of different species in an area
niche
the role an organism plays in an ecosystem. A set of circumstances where an organism is best adapted to cope.
Competition
When a resource is limited and more than one organism
pyramid of numbers
a way of displaying the number of individuals at each level of the food chain
pyramid of energy
A way of displaying the level of energy at each level of the food chain
Population explosion
A large sudden increase in population
Traditional farming
Farming which is used for small production of food. More labour, less machinery, better for the environment
Intensive farming
Controlled farming that increase the efficiency of food production
Pesticide
A chemical used to kill organisms that would affect the growth of plants or crops
Fertiliser
A use of organic or inorganic materials that help with plant growth as they supply nutrients to them
Nitrates
Compound of nitrogen and oxygen which is an essential nutrient for plants for leaf growth
Leaching
The run off of fertilisers into a water source
Accumulation
The amount of toxins in the tissue of an individual organism over time
Magnification
The movement of the toxins through the food chain from one animal to the next. And the increased effects on these animals
Biological Control
An alternative to pesticides. By releasing a natural predator into the area an organism lives the number of pests can be reduced.
GMO
An organism that has been genetically altered to make it healthier stronger better at surviving or more useful to humans
eutrophication (long answer)
Input of nutrients to streams and rivers due to leaching
Algal bloom
Less light to plants so plants die
Increase in dead plants which is more good for bacteria
Increase in bacteria
Bacteria use oxygen so animals and plants die
important elements for plant growth
nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus
Where does energy get lost in a food chain
Undigested waste
Movement
Heat
Growth
Autotroph
Makes its own food
intraspecific
within one species
interspecific
between more than one species
biodiversity
A combination of the number of species and how many species there are
pyramid of energy
A way of displaying the level of energy at each level of the food chain
Population explosion
A large sudden increase in population
Traditional farming
Farming which is used for small production of food. More labour, less machinery, better for the environment
Intensive farming
Controlled farming that increase the efficiency of food production
Pesticide
A chemical used to kill organisms that would affect the growth of plants or crops
Fertiliser
A use of organic or inorganic materials that help with plant growth as they supply nutrients to them
Nitrates
Compound of nitrogen and oxygen which is an essential nutrient for plants for leaf growth
Leaching
The run off of fertilisers into a water source
Accumulation
The amount of toxins in the tissue of an individual organism over time
Magnification
The movement of the toxins through the food chain from one animal to the next. And the increased effects on these animals
Biological Control
An alternative to pesticides. By releasing a natural predator into the area an organism lives the number of pests can be reduced.
GMO
An organism that has been genetically altered to make it healthier stronger better at surviving or more useful to humans
eutrophication (long answer)
Input of nutrients to streams and rivers due to leaching
Algal bloom
Less light to plants so plants die
Increase in dead plants which is more good for bacteria
Increase in bacteria
Bacteria use oxygen so animals and plants die
important elements for plant growth
nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus
Where does energy get lost in a food chain
Undigested waste
Movement
Heat
Growth
Autotroph
Makes its own food
intraspecific
within one species
interspecific
between more than one species
biodiversity
A combination of the number of species and how many species there are
