food webs Flashcards
1
Q
what is biodiversity
A
the variety of species living in a community
2
Q
what two components do you consider to measure biodiversity?
A
- species richness - #of species
- Relative abundance of each species - how many are there compared to overall community.
3
Q
what is a community
A
set of populations of different species sharing the same habitat
4
Q
what is a disturbance
A
- events that damage a community/ecosystem.
- they can be natural or caused by humans.
5
Q
what are trophic relationships
A
( the living organisms can be broken down into 3 groups )
- it is the feeding connections among the living organisms in an ecosystem.
6
Q
what are the three trophic levels
A
- producers (autotrophs)
- consumers
- decomposers
7
Q
Explain Producers
A
- plants that produce what they need to feed themselves by converting inorganic matter into organic matter.
8
Q
Explain Consumers
A
- can’t produce their own food so they feed on other living organisms to obtain their energy
9
Q
Explain Decomposers
A
feed on the waste of other living organisms
10
Q
what is biomass?
A
Total mass of organic (living) matter in an ecosystem at any given time.
11
Q
What is primary productivity?
A
Amount of new biomass produced by the producers
