Unit 2 List 1 Ecology Flashcards
Abiotic Factors
a non-living part of an ecosystem
Autotrophs
Makes its own food
Biotic Factors
Living parts of an ecosystem
Bioaccumulation
an increase in the concentration of a chemical in a biological organism over time
Carbon Sink
anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases
Carnivore
Meat eater
Commensalism
A relationship where one benefits and the other isn’t harmed
Competition
Fighting for food, land, etc
Energy Pyramid
a model that shows the flow of energy
Decomposer
breaks down dead organisms
Consumer
Eats producers
Ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Food Chain
the sequence of transfers of matter and energy in the form of food from organism to organism
Food Web
consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem.
Habitat
Natural home of an organism
Herbivore
An organism that only eats plants
Heterotrophs
Organisms that cant make their own food
Leaching
a process of extracting a substance from a solid material that is dissolved in a liquid
Limiting Factor
Anything that controls a population size and stops it from growing
Mutualism
A relationship where both organism benefit
Niche
an organism unique way of lving
Omnivore
A organism that eats both plants and animals
Ocean Acidification
a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere
Parasitism
A relationship where one organism gets harmed and the other organism benefits
Phytoplankton
plankton consisting of microscopic plants.
Pioneer Species
species that first colonize new habitats created by disturbance.
Population
the whole number of inhabitants occupying an area
Predation
An animal hunting another animal
Predator
an animal who hunts
Prey
An animal who gets hunted
Primary Succession
happens when a new patch of land is created or exposed for the first time.
Producer
An animal who makes its own food
Secondary Succession
happens when a climax community or intermediate community is impacted by a disturbance
Species Overshoot
when a population exceeds its carrying capacity
sustainability
the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
