G: Ecology & the Environment Flashcards
Biodiversity
Variety in and between organisms, species and ecosystems.
Biomass
The total weight of living organisms within a habitat or food chain.
Biomes
Major world communities of plant and animal life.
Biosphere
The Earth’s landmasses, oceans and atmosphere, and all the animals, plants, insects, birds and micro-organisms living in them.
Carbon cycle
The way through which carbon is recycled through the process of respiration, photosynthesis and decomposition.
Carnivore
An animal which hunts and eats other animals.
Community
All the population of different species living together in a habitat.
Consumers
Organisms that get their energy by eating either green plants or other consumers. Primary consumers feed on plant material and secondary consumers feed primarily on animal material.
Decomposer
An organism which eats dead organisms or animal droppings and breaks them down into simple materials.
De-oxygenated
Not containing oxygen.
Ecology
The study of living things in relation to their environment.
Ecosystem
A community of animals, plants and micro-organisms, together with the habitat where they live.
Eutrophication
‘Hyper-nutrition’ resulting from pollution of aquatic ecosystems with fertiliser causing a ‘bloom’ of algae which then die and decompose, resulting in low oxygen levels and reduced ability to support life.
Food chain
(diagram of) a sequence of feeding relationships between organisms, showing who eats what and the movement of energy through trophic levels.
Food web
(diagram of) a network of feeding relationships between organisms in a community.
Habitat
A place where plants, animals and micro-organisms live.
Herbivore
An animal which feeds on plants only.
Niche
Particular place or role occupied by an organism within an ecological community.
Oxygenated
Containing oxygen.
Parasites
An organism that lived in or on another organism.
Pollution
Contamination of the environment, usually by chemicals.
Populations
Members of a single species living in a habitat.
Predator
Animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals for food.
Prey
Organisms that predators kill for food.
Producer
An organism which can make its own food - i.e. a green plant.
Pyramid of biomass
A diagram to illustrate the amount of biological material within a food chain or web.
Pyramid of numbers
A diagram to illustrate the number of organisms within a food chain or web.
Scavengers
Animals that feed on dead animals or decaying matter.
Symbiosis
A relationship between two different organisms which co-exist and in some cases help each other to survive.
Trophic (feeding) relationship
Relationships between organisms which are fed upon and organisms who feed upon them. Feeding relationships can be shown in food chains or food webs.
Trophic level
Feeding levels of a food chain.
Trophic rainforest
Dense tropical equatorial woodland.
