Unit 2 List 1 Ecology(LD) Flashcards
Abiotic Factors
a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment
Autotrophs
an organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.
Biotic Factors
any living thing that has an effect on an ecosystem
Carbon Sink
anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases
Bioaccumulation
an increase in the concentration of a chemical over time in a biological organism compared to the chemical’s concentration in the environment
Commensalism
an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.
Carnivore
an animal that feeds on flesh
Competition
an interaction between organisms or species in which both require a resource that is in limited supply
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
Energy Pyramid
a model that shows the flow of energy from one trophic, or feeding, level to the next in an ecosystem
Ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Food Chain
a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food.
Food Web
consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem
Herbivore
an animal that feeds on plants.
Habitat
the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism
Heterotrophs
an organism that eats other plants or animals for energy and nutrients
Leaching
the loss of water soluble plant nutrients from the soil due to rain and irrigation
Limiting Factor
anything that constrains a population’s size and slows or stops it from growing
Niche
the role an organism plays in a community
Mutualism
association between organisms of two different species in which each benefits
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 close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life
Phytoplankton
microscopic marine algae
Pioneer Species
species that are the first to colonize newly created environments or recently disturbed environments during the processes of primary succession and secondary succession
Population
a group of organisms of the same species living in the same geographic area at the same time
Predation
a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey
Predator
an animal that naturally preys on others
Prey
an animal that is caught and killed by another for food
Primary Succession
ecological succession that begins in essentially lifeless areas
Secondary Succession
happens when a climax community or intermediate community is impacted by a disturbance
Producer
organisms that make their own food
Species Overshoot
occurs when the population of a species significantly exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment
Sustainability
the practice of using natural resources responsibly so that they will be available for many generations.
