Energy in Ecosystems Flashcards
What is a producer?
an autotrophic organism (produces its own food using photosynthesis)
What is a consumer?
An organism that obtains food by feeding on other organisms or producers (heterotroph)
What is a trophic level?
Hierarchical levels in an ecosystem. Each trophic level consists of organisms sharing the same function in the food chain
What do the arrows represent in the food chain?
The flow and direction of energy through a food chain or food web
What is an ecosystem?
A community of interdependent organisms and how they interact with biotic and abiotic factors
What are decomposers?
Saprotrophs e.g. bacteria and fungi which feed of dead matter and excreted material
What is an environment?
The sum total of abiotic factors in the ecosystem
What is a habitat?
Places where specific organisms live
What is a population?
The number of organisms of one species
What is a community?
Number of all biotic factors
What do biomass pyramids show?
The total dry mass of the organisms at each trophic level. ALWAYS pyramid shaped.
Why is energy reduced at each trophic level of a biomass pyramid?
Heat loss, excretion, energy needed to use muscles, reflected off leaf, not 100% efficient, wastage, some molecules are indigestible etc
What are the two main reasons for energy loss in food webs/chains?
- heat + respiration
- excretion
