UNIT 2 LIST 1 ECOLOGY AKT Flashcards
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The nonliving part of an ecosystem
abiotic factors
an organism that makes its own food through use of abiotic factors
autotroph
the living factors in an ecosystem
biotic factors
the build-up of something inside an organism
bioaccumulation
absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
carbon sink
an organism that only eats consumers
carnivore
a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed (is unaffected)
commensalism
a relationship between two organisms that strive for the same limited resources in the same place
competition
an organism that consumes other organisms to survive
consumer
an organism that feeds on and breaks down dead plant/animal matter and waste, making organic nutrients available to the ecosystem
decomposer
all the living and non-living features of an environment
ecosystem
a model that shows the flow of energy from one trophic level to the next in an ecosystem
energy pyramid
describes how energy and nutrients move through an ecosystem
food chain
the natural interconnection of food chains and a graphical representation of what-eats-what in an ecological community
food web
the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism
habitat
an organism that only consumes autotrophs
herbivore
an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients
heterotroph
the loss of water soluble plant nutrients from the soil due to rain and irrigation
leaching
factors that limit a population’s size / population growth
limiting factor
a symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit
mutualism
the unique way that the organism survives within its environment, or its “job” within the environment
niche
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
ocean acidification
organism that eats both consumers and producers
omnivore
a symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed
parasitism
microscopic organisms that live in watery environments, both salty and fresh
phytoplankton
a group of species that are the first to colonize a new habitat created by a previous disturbance
pioneer species
an interbreeding group of organisms living together at the same place and time
population
organisms that hunt and kill for food
predator
organisms that are hunted and killed for food
prey
type of ecological succession (the evolution of a biological community’s ecological structure) in which plants and animals first colonize a barren, lifeless habitat
primary succession
organisms that make their own food
producer
happens when a climax community or intermediate community is impacted by a disturbance
secondary succession
when the population exceeds the carrying capacity of their environment
species overshoot
the ability of biological systems to remain healthy, diverse, and productive over time
sustainability
biological relationship in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey.
predation
