Living World Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
The living and non-living components of an environment and the interrelationships that exist between them
What are biomes?
Global-scale ecosystems
What type of organisms are producers?
Organisms which obtain their energy from a primary source such as the sun
What type of an organism is a consumer?
An organism which obtains its energy by eating other organisms
What is the food chain?
A line of linkages between producers and consumers
What is a food web?
A diagram that shows the linkages between producers and consumers in an ecosystem
What type of organisms are scavengers?
Organisms which consume dead animals or plants
What type of organisms are decomposers?
Organisms such as bacteria that break down plant and animal material
What is nutrient cycling?
The recycling of nutrients between living organisms and the environment
What is a temperate deciduous forest?
Forests comprising broad-leaved trees such as oak that drop their leaves in the autumn
What is stratification in forests?
Layering of forests, particularly evident in temperate deciduous forests and tropical rainforests
Define a ‘tropical rainforest’
The natural vegetation found in the tropics, well suited to high temperatures and heavy rainfall associated with these latitudes
Describe the process of leaching
The dissolving and removal of nutrients from the soil, typically very effective in tropical rainforests due to the heavy rainfall
What does ‘arid’ mean?
Dry conditions typically associated with deserts
What are hot deserts?
Regions of the world with rainfall less than 250mm per year
