Unit 2 List 1 Ecology RC Flashcards
Abiotic Factors
A non-living factor
Autotrophs
An organism that can make its own energy
Biotic Factors
A living factor
Bioaccumulation
When chemicals build up inside of an organism
Carbon Sink
Anything that absorbs more carbon that it releases into the atmosphere
Carnivore
An organism that only eats animals for food
Commensalism
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is neutral
Competition
When organisms compete with each other for a limited resource
Consumer
An organism that relies on other organisms for energy (food)
Decomposer
An organism that decomposes dead organisms for energy
Ecosystem
All of the biotic and abiotic factors in an area
Food Web
A complex series of food chains in an ecosystem
Energy Pyramid
A model/pyramid displaying the flow of energy from trophic level to trophic level
Food Chain
A chain showing the flow of energy from organism to organism
Habitat
The environment and home of an organism
Herbivore
An organism that only eats plants
Leaching
Extracting a substance in a solid material by dissolving it
Heterotrophs
An animal that needs to eat other organisms for food
Limiting Factor
A factor that limits the size of a population
Mutualism
A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit
Niche
Environmental factors or conditions that affect a species
Ocean Acidification
A change in the pH level of ocean water that can be harmful to organisms living there
Omnivore
An organism that eats both plants and animals
Parasitism
A symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed
Phytoplankton
A microscopic marine algae
Pioneer Species
A species that is the first to colonize an area or environment
Population
A group of the same species in an area
Predator
An organism that hunts down and eats an animal for food
Predation
When energy is transferred through organisms when a predator hunts down prey
Prey
An organism that is caught and used for food by a predator
Primary Succession
When a species populates an area of land for the first time
Producer
An organism that makes its own energy
Secondary Succession
When an area that has previously been populated is disturbed and then later, a new community populates it
Species Overshoot
When the population of a species is too much for its carrying capacity
Sustainability
The ability to maintain something
