Humans and the Ecosystem Flashcards
what is a producer
organism that makes its own food, usually by photosynthesis
what is a food chain
representation of the feeding relationships within a community
what is a consumer
an organism that eats other organisms for food
what is a herbivore
an organism that only eats producers (plants/algae)
what is a predator
an organism that kills and eats other organisms
what is a prey organism
an organism that is killed and eaten by organism
what is an apex predator
a carnivore with no predators
what is the carbon cycle
a process that returns carbon from organisms to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, which can then be used by plants
what is the water cycle
a process that provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into seas and rivers
what is biodiversity
the variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth, or within an ecosystem
what is the advantage of high biodiversity
ensures stability of ecosystems by reducing the dependence of one species on another
how are humans trying to maintain biodiversity
-breeding programs
-protection of rare habitats
-reintroduction of hedgerows
-reduction of deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions
-recycling resources
why are more resources being used, and more waste produced, by humans
rapid growth in human population, and increase on the standard of living
how are humans reducing the land available for other organisms
-building
-quarrying
-farming
-dumping waste
what are the negative impacts of the destruction of peat bogs
-reduces the amount of available habitat, causing decreases in biodiversity
-burning or decay of peat releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
