Life On Earth - Ecosytems Flashcards
Define the term species
A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Define the term biodiversity
The degree of variation that exists among all living organisms on earth
Define the term population
All the members of a single species that live within a geographical area
Define the term producer
An organism which can produce its own energy by photosynthesis
Define the term consumer
An organism which obtains energy by eating another organism
Describe three types of consumers
Herbivores - only eat plant material
Carnivores - only eat animal material
Omnivores - eat both plant and animal material
Define the term predator
Predators are organisms which catch and consume other organisms
Define the term prey
Prey are the organisms which are caught and eaten
What is a food chain?
A food chain represents the feeding interactions between organisms. The arrows show the direction of energy Flow
What is a food web?
A food web represents all the feeding interactions between organisms in an area
Describe the interactions of organisms in food webs
Due to changing factors within a food web organisms can increase or decrease. Some organisms can be completely removed.
The removal or introduction of a species into a food web can have an effect on other organisms causing them to increase or decrease in number.
An increase in the remaining organisms could be due to less competition for resources or less predation
Meaning of ecosystem
An ecosystem describes a natural biological unit that is made up of both living and non-living parts
Meaning of habitat
The place where an organism lives
Meaning of community
All the organisms living together in a habitat
What is a niche
A niche is the role that an organism plays within a community
It relates to the resources required in its ecosystem such as light and nutrient availability
