Ecosystems and Abiotic Factors - Topic 1 Flashcards
What is ecology?
Ecology is the study of the relationship between living things and their environment
What is a habitat?
The physical surroundings of an environment are called a habitat
What is a population?
When a number of the same species live in a habitat, they are called a population
What is an ecosystem?
When members of a community interact with each other and the physical surrounding, they form an ecosystem
Ecosystem = community + physical surroundings
What is a producer?
Producer - autotrophic, usually through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. primary source of energy for all organisms in the ecosystem
What are consumers?
Consumer - heterotrophs - feed on other organism
1st order consumer - herbivore and some omnivores
2nd and higher order consumer - some omnivores and carnivores
What are detritivores?
Detritivores consumer detritus (decaying organic matter)
What are decomposers?
Decomposers are bacteria and fungi. They release enzymes onto dead organic matter and absorb digested matter
What are biotic factors?
The living factors (such as plants and animals) and their products (such as faeces)
What are abiotic factors?
the non-living physical factors that affect an organism’s ability to survive
What is optimal range?
It is the level at which the organism can survive the best, in regard to abiotic factors
What is tolerance range?
Organisms can survive in abiotic levels outside of this optimal range, to an extent – they just struggle to grow and reproduce
How does physiological stress occur?
Organisms that are living outside of their optimal range do not function efficiently and suffer from physiological stress
Compare tolerance ranges to optimal ranges?
Organisms will thrive in areas where all their abiotic requirements are within their optimal range, however, they can only survive in areas where all their abiotic factors are within their tolerance ranges
