UNIT 3: (3.1) Ecosystems Flashcards
what is a ecosystem?
Is the community of organisms living in a habitat and their interactions with the non-living components of the system
what is a habitat?
the place where an organism lives
what is a community?
is all the living organisms in an ecosystem
what is a population?
is a group of living organisms of the one species
what is a species?
is a group of organisms which can interbreed to produce fertile offspring
what is biodiversity?
is the degree of variation that exists among all living organisms on Earth
what is a producer?
is a green plant which makes its own food by photosynthesis
what is a consumer?
is an organism which eats other organisms to gain energy
what is a predator?
An animal which hunts, kills and eats other animals
what is a prey?
an organism that predators kill for food
what is a omnivore?
an animal which eats both plants and animals
what is a carnivore?
an animal which eats other animals (secondary consumer)
what is a herbivore?
an animal which eats plants only (primary consumer)
what does a food chain show?
the linear flow of energy between organisms
what does a food web show?
the energy flow through interconnected food chains in an ecosystem
what do the arrows in a food chain or web show?
direction of energy flow
what is a niche?
is the role occupied by an organism within a community
when does competition occur?
when resources are in short supply
what is inter specific competition?
occurs when organisms of different species compete for one or a few of the resources they require
what is intra specific competition?
occurs between organisms of the same species and is for all the resources they require. Therefore, intraspecific competition is more intense than interspecific competition
what does a niche relate to?
- the resources in its ecosystem such as light and nutrient availability and its interactions with other organisms in the community. It involves competition, predation and the conditions it can tolerate such as temperature.
