Organisms and the Environment Flashcards
Revise
Define a food chain
A sequence that shows how energy and nutrients flow from one organism to another. Each step in the chain is known as a trophic level.
Define a food web
A network of interconnected food chains that show the complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
What are Biotic components?
Living components of an ecosystem. Eg. animals, plants
What are Abiotic components?
Non-living components of an ecosystem Eg. temperature, wind, humidity
What is a producer
Usually plants or algae that create their own food using sunlight (photosynthesis).
What is a primary consumer?
Herbivores that eat producers (e.g., rabbits, caterpillars).
What is a secondary consumer?
Carnivores or omnivores that eat primary consumers (e.g., foxes, birds).
What is a tertiary consumer?
Higher-level predators that eat secondary consumers (e.g., eagles, sharks).
What is a decomposer?
Organisms like bacteria and fungi that break down dead matter and recycle nutrients into the environment.
How is energy transferred in an ecosystem?
10 percent of energy is passed on to each trophic level. 90 percent of the energy is dissipated as heat.
Define pyramid of energy
A graphical representation that shows the flow of energy at different trophic levels in an ecosystem.
Define pyramid of biomass
Shows the total mass of living organisms (biomass) at each trophic level in an ecosystem.
Define pyramid of numbers
Displays the number of individual organisms at each trophic level.
