The Nature Of Ecosystems- Glossary Flashcards
Ecosystem
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Biome
A large naturally occurring climax community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat
Biotic factors
Living factors which affect the ecosystem e.g. Predation, disease and competition
Abiotic factors
Non-living factors which affect the system e.g. Rocks, weather, sunlight
Inputs in an ecosystem
Things coming into the system e.g. Water, C02, 02, matter and nutrients
Outputs in an ecosystem
Ways which nutrients are transferred out of the system e.g. Animals move out of the system, evapotranspiration, through-flow and groundwater flow
Flows within an ecosystem
Within an ecosystem nutrients can be taken from one store to another e.g. From soil vegetation through capillary uptake by plant roots
Stores in an ecosystem
The three main ones are vegetation, plant litter and soils
Trophic levels
Producers->primary consumers-> secondary consumers -> tertiary consumers
Photosynthesis
The process by which plants use light to synthesise nutrients from CO2 and water
Biomass
The total of plant and animal life in an ecosystem
Autotrophs/primary producers
Organisms which can make their own food from either chemicals or the sun
Primary consumers/herbivores
The organism which consumes the primary producers
Secondary consumers/carnivores
The organism which can consume the primary consumers
Top predators
The predators at the top of the food chain which can consume organisms on all trophic levels beneath it
Omnivores
Organisms which can consume both animal and plant matter
Soil
A mixture of weathered rock, air, water and decomposed organic matter on the surface of the earth
Litter
The dead organic matter on top of the soil
Leaching
The of water-soluble plant nutrients from the soil due to rain and irrigation. Soil structure, crop planting, type and application rates of fertilisers
Food chain
A series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
Decomposers
An organism especially a soil bacterium, fungus or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material
Detritivores
An organism which feeds on dead material and other waste products
