KA1- Ecosystems Flashcards
Species
Organisms with similar characteristics and with the ability to interbreed to produce fertile offspring
Biodiversity
The variety of plants and animals which exist in an area
Population
A group of organisms of the same species
Ecosystem
Consists of all the living organisms in a particular area and the non living components with which they interact with
Habitat
Where an organism lives
Niche
The role an organism playa within an ecosystem and the different interactions organisms can have within an ecosytem
Producer
An organism that produces its own food by photosynthess
Consumer
An organism that obtains energy by consuming an organism
Herbivore
An organism that only eat plants
Carnivore
An organism that only eats animals
Omnivore
An organism that eats both plants and animals
Predator
An organism that obtains food by hunting and killing organisms
Prey
Obtained and killed by predator organisms
Food chain
Show energy flow by showing feeding relationships
They show which organisms eat other organisms
Food web
Many food webs linked together
Food chains that interconnect at various points
Competition
Occurs when organisms need the same resources to survive and the resource is in short supply
Two different types of competition:
Interspecific competition- occurs between individuals of different species
Intraspecific competition- occurs between individuals of the same species
Intraspecific competition is usually more intense than interspecific competition because the individuals have the same niche so are competing for exactly the same resources, e.male deer locking horns for mates
Parasitism
An interaction where on individual benefits and the other loses out, e.g flea feeding on dog blood
Explain the relationship between the population of prey and predators
As the population of the prey increases, the predator population also increases and then the prey decreases and so do the predators, meanwhile the pretty population increase again and the cycle repeats
What does the arrow in a food chain show?
The transfer of energy from one organism to the next
What do all food chains start with?
A producer (green plants)
How do green plants make their own food?
By converting light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis
What is the source of all energy in a food chain?
The sun
How are food chains upsetted?
Removing an organism because other organisms would be affected
