Unit 2 List 1 Ecology LC Flashcards
Abiotic factors
a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment
autotrophs
an organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals
biotic factors
the living components (organisms) that shape up the environment.
bioaccumulation
an increase in the concentration of a chemical in a biological organism over time, compared to the chemical’s concentration in the environment.
carbon sink
a forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
carnivore
an animal that feeds on flesh.
commensailsm
an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.
competition
the activity or condition of competing.
consumer
an organism that cannot produce its own food and must eat other plants and/or animals to get energy.
decomposer
an organism (as a bacterium or a fungus) that feeds on and breaks down dead plant or animal matter.
ecosystem
a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in a particular area.
energy oyramid
a model that shows the flow of energy from one trophic, or feeding, level to the next in an ecosystem.
food chain
a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.
food web
consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem.
habitat
the natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or other organism
herbivore
an organism that feeds mostly on plants.
heterotrophs
an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients.
leaching
a process in which water-soluble substances are washed out from the soil.
limiting factor
anything that constrains a population’s size and slows or stops it from growing.
mutualism
association between organisms of two different species in which each benefits.
niche
the role an organism plays in a community
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
omnivore
an organism that eats plants and animals
parasitism
a relationship between the two living species in which one organism is benefitted at the expense of the other.
phytoplakton
microscopic marine algae.
pioneer species
a group of species that are the first to colonize a new habitat created by a previous disturbance
population
a group of the same species living in a similar geographical area.
predation
a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey
predator
organisms that hunt and kill other organisms for food.
prey
animals that are killed and eaten by other animals.
primary sucession
type of ecological succession (the evolution of a biological community’s ecological structure) in which plants and animals first colonize a barren, lifeless habitat.
producer
organisms that make their own food; they are also known as autotrophs.
secondary succesion
happens when a climax community or intermediate community is impacted by a disturbance.
species overshoot
Phenomenon in which populations temporarily exceed carrying capacity of environment
sustainablility
the ability of biological systems to remain healthy, diverse, and productive over time.
