Interactions Flashcards
What is carrying capacity?
The maximum population of a species that an environment can sustain
What are ecotones?
Transitions between different habitats
What is succession?
The process of change in the structure of an ecological community, from pioneer species to a climax community.
What is a plagioclimax community?
A community which arises from human interaction such as forest clearning or planting.
What are autotrophs?
Self nourishing organisms, such as plants.
What are photoautotrophs?
Organisms which use light energy, such as plants
What are chemoautotrophs?
Organisms that obtain energy from chemical reactions, such as nitrogen fixing bacteria
What are heterotrophs?
Organisms that cannot make their own food.
What are chemoheterotrophs?
Organisms that can use light energy but need other food sources.
What are Chemoheterotrophs?
Organisms which need food to get energy, including humans
What are granivores?
Organisms which eat grains and seeds
What are frugivores?
Organisms which eat fruit
What are fiolovores?
Organisms which eat leaves
What is saprotrophic nutrition?
Extracelullar digestion of decayed organic matter by fungi and bacteria.
What it commensalism?
Interaction where one organism benefits, whilst the other is not affected, e.g. bird making a nest in the tree.
