The living world, Terminology Flashcards
Abiotic
Non living things in an ecosystem
Biotic
Living things in an ecosystem
Consumer
Creature that eats animals or plants
Decomposer
An organism such as bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead tissue, which is then recycled to the enviroment.
Ecosystem
A comunity of plants that interact with each other and their physical enviroment.
Food chain
The connections between different organisms (plants and animals) that rely on one another as their source of food.
Food web
A complex heirarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food
Nutrient cycling
A set of processes whereby organisms extract minerals necessary for growth from soil or water, before passing them on through the food chain - and ultimately back to the soil and water.
Global ecosystem
Very large ecological areas on the earths surface (or biomes), with Fauna and flora adapting to their enviroment. Examples include tropical rainforest and hot desert.
Fauna
animals
Flora
plants
Producer
An organism that is able to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis
Biodiversity
The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat.
