Ecosystems- Lesson 3 Flashcards
Defining an ecosystem and what makes an ecosystem an ecosystem
What is a ecosystem?
An interconnected group of organisms and the abiotic components around them
What is biomass?
The total mass of living things in an area
What is ecology?
the study of complex interactions between organisms and the environment
What is the difference between biotic and abiotic?
Biotic is life and abiotic is physical
Organisms that are similar enough to reproduce and create fertile offspring are…
Species
All members of a species in an area is the…
population
All members of all species in an area is the…
community
Every species has a role in the ecosystems and have a place in the food chain, what are the 4 key determinations of that role?
what, how, when, and where it eats
What is a habitat?
where a species live or the type of conditions a species live in
What is a niche?
the role a species plays in an ecosystem
No 2 species can occupy the same niche in the long term this is because of the principle of…
The principle of competitive exclusion
Energy is the…
ability to do work
What is throughput?
the flow of matter/ energy through and out of a system
what is photosynthesis?
using sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into food
what is preditation
the consumption of other living organisms
What is decomposition
breaking down organic matter
Organisms that create their own food are…
Producers
Organisms that consume other organisms are?
Consumers
Organisms that break down dead organic matter are
decomposers
What are the 3 levels of consumers? and define them
Primary consumer: herbivores
Secondary consumers: eat primary consumers(baby predators)
Tertiary consumers: Top of the food chain (Apex Predators)
Define a symbiotic relationship
Interactions between 2 different species
What are the 5 symbiotic relationships? and define them with examples.
- Predation or Consumption- an organism eating another organism. Ex: a fox eating a rabbit
- Mutualism- Both species benefit from the relationship. Ex: Oxpecker bird eating the ticks off a rhino
- Commensalism- one species benefits and the other species is not impacted. Ex: Barnacles and a Humpback whale
- Parasitism- when one species benefits and the other is harmed. Ex: ticks on a rhino
- Competition- when 2 species use the same resources in an ecosystem. Ex: Lions and hyenas
