Geography Key Definitions - LIVING WORLD Flashcards
Food Chain
A series of connected plants and animals, showing which species eats which
Food web
A network of interconnected food chains, showing movement of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem
Biotic components
The living part of an ecosystem
Abiotic components
The non-living parts of an ecosystem
Ecosystem
A natural system of plants animals and their natural environment.
Producers
Green plants that convert energy from sunlight by photosynthesis
Consumers
Animals that eat other living things to get their energy.
Can be primary (eat plants) or secondary (eat other animals)
Decomposers
Things that break down dead plant and animal remains to return nutrients to the soil
Nutrient cycling
The movement of foods that are used by plants. These come from rainwater, or from weathered rock under the soil
Biodiversity
The variety of plant and animals life in a particular ecosystem.
Deciduous
Plants that drop their leaves to conserve water and survive the winter
Coniferous
Plants that have leaves all year round
