Unit 4 Ecology Flashcards
Autotrophs
organisms that produce their own food
Heterotrophs
organisms that feed on other organisms
Consumers
heterotrophs that feed on living organisms by ingestion
Detritivores
heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from detritus by internal digestion
Saprotrophs
heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion
Species
organism that have common characteristics which are capable of producing fertile offspring
Population
a group of organisms of one species that interbreed and line in the same place at the same time
Community
formed by populations of different species living together and interacting with each other
ecosystem
a community and its interactions with the abiotic environment
mesocosms
experimental systems that can be set up to study natural environments under controlled conditions
pyramids of energy
are diagrams that represent that amount of energy converted to biomass at the different trophic levels
How is heat lost
through respiration
Outline the energy flow through a food web
autotrpohs are producers that convert light energy into chemical energy that is used by the plant and lost as heat to the surroundings through respiration. Primary consumers consume plants and only 10% of their energy is passed on to the next trophic level as energy is lost as heat. Energy is lost as not all of the plant is eaten or digested
Carbon Sink
is a reserve of carbon
carbon flux
the transfer of carbon from one carbon sink to another
peat
organic matter that is not fully decomposed due to acidic or waterlogged soils
fossil fuels
partially decomposed organic matter from past geological eras that accumulate in porous rocks
limestone
a rock composed of calcium carbonate, is mainly formed from sediments containing the remains or marine organisms such as corals and molluscs
greenhouse gases
those that produce the greenhouse effect
greenhouse effect
is the process by which the Earths surface is warmed due to entrapment of the radiation re-emitted by the Earth as long-wave radiation
Explain the interaction of short and long wave radiation with greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
Greenhouse gases include gases such as CO2, methane, water vapour… Short wave radiation from the rays of the sun penetrate these gases in the atmosphere, reaching the surface of the Earth and thus delivering heat energy. However when they reflect from the surface, they become long-wave radiation which is absorbed by the gases and reflected back to the earth or trapped in the atmosphere causing the earth to become warmer.
