Unit 9 (Ecovology ) Flashcards
Predators definition
Animals that hunt or prey on other animals are called predators
Ecosystem definition
The living organisms in a particular area, together with the non-living components of the environment.
An ecosystem is the interaction between a community of living organisms and their environment.
Community definition
A community is two or more populations of organisms.
Food chain definition
A sequence (usually shown as a diagram) of feeding relationships between organisms, showing which organisms eat what and the movement of energy through trophic levels.
Food webs definition
A network of food chains, showing how they all link together.
Producers definition
Producers “produce” their own food by harnessing energy ( and using inorganic molecules) from their surroundings . They begin food chains .
Primary consumer definition
The name given to an organism that eats a producer. Always a herbivore.
Secondary consumer
An organism that obtains its energy by eating the primary consumer.
Prey
Organisms that predators kill for food.
Decomposes ( 4)
Decomposers are organisms ( bacteria and fungi), which break down dead organisms in a process called decomposition or rotting. They do this by releasing enzymes onto the dead matter and afterwards, consume the broken down substances. They form a vital role in the recycling of matter. When organisms die and decompose plants absorb the broken down nutrients through their roots.
Abiotic factor
Non-living elements of an ecosystem, such as climate, temperature, water, and soil type.
Biotic factors
Living elements of an ecosystem, such as plants and animals.
Symbiotic relationships
Any ecological relationship that requires species to live in close proximity to each other
Hwo is energy lost between teh sun and plants
From the Sun to the plant (producer), energy is lost when light is reflected off the leaf or passes through the leaf missing the chloroplasts. However, with no shortage of sunlight, this is not an issue.
Why is energy lost between each Trophic level ? ( 3 points )p
Energy is lost due to:
The whole organism not being eaten (skeleton and fur left behind).
Not all the food being digested – some passes out of the animal in excretion or egestion.
Energy being lost as heat in respiration and therefore not being passed onto the next level. Respiration provides the animal with energy for movement, reproduction and growth
Adaptations of the tapeworm as a parasite
- body covered by mucus to protect against host’s digestive juices
- no digestive system needed as food has already been digested
-long, thin body
gives large surface areas for absorbing food - head has
hooks and suckers to hold onto the gut wall
Functions of prey and predator
Provide a source of food and energy in the ecosystem
Parasitism (2)
Symbiosis is a close ecological relationship between the individuals of two (or more) different species, sometimes one species benefits at the other’s expense.
Parasitism occurs when an organism (the parasite) lives on or in another organism (the host) at the expense of the host.
Mutualism
Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where all species involved benefit from their interactions.
Example of mutualism
The oxpecker bird is a type of African starling that eats ticks, fleas and other insects attached to large mammals such as buffalo and rhinoceros. The oxpecker is a type of cleaner species.
The oxpecker benefits from a source of food while the mammal is cleaned of parasites that feed on its blood.
Amnesalism
Amensalism describes a relationship in which one species is unaffected but harm other species. Ex. Secreting a toxin
Competition
Two organisms fight for the same resource, such as food or mates
Secondary host
A host in which a parasite lives while it completes a developmental stage of its life cycle
Predator prey cycle ( option 1 - not food related )(4)
Predator-prey cycles:
There are always more prey than predators.
The number of predators increases because there are more prey, so there is more food for them to eat.
The number of prey reduces because there are more predators, so more get eaten.
The number of predators reduces because there is less prey so less food.
Introducing new predators interrupt teh predator prey balance
The arrival of new predators in an ecosystem can have a devastating effect. In balanced ecosystems predators and prey have evolved together. Predators can catch enough prey to survive, but not enough to kill all their prey.
The arrival of a new predator can upset this balance. An example of this is the introduction of the red fox to Australia, which has caused concern over their effect on native birds and small mammals. Introducing new predators can cause a rapid decline in the numbers of prey, which then reduces the food supply for existing predators.
intraspecific vs interspecific competition
Intraspecific is competition between individuals of the same species, while interspecific is competition between individuals of different species
population definition
a group of organisms of the same species living in teh same area at the same time
species
a group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspirng
community
a group of populatio living and interacting with each other in an area
Autotrophs
organisms taht produce their own food from carbon ( simple organic molecules ) and inorganic compounds ??
hetrotrophs
organisms that derive their energy from other living organisms
Photoautotrophs
Photoautotrophs are organisms that can make their own energy using light and carbon dioxide via the process of photosynthesis.
chemoautotrophs
(4)
using chemosynthesis to make theri own food. Chemosynthesis is a process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates.
They are capable of utilizing inorganic compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur and ammonium as reducing agents, and synthesizing organic compounds from carbon dioxide. (Chemoautotrophs, in addition to deriving energy from chemical reactions, synthesize all necessary organic compounds from carbon dioxide. )
chemotroph (1 line)
A chemotroph is an organism that obtains energy by the oxidation of electron donors in their environments.
detrivores vs saphotrophs (definition)
detrivores ingests non living organic matter , saphotrophs live in or on non-living organism matter -secreting digetsive enzymses onto it and absorbing diges6ive products
detrivores vs saprotrophs (examples)
detrivores (earthworm, woodlice), saprotrophs (fungi, bacteria)
main differnace beteen detrivores and saphotrphes (short explanation)
detrivores ingest first then digest while saphotrophs digest first then absorb
photohetotrophs
A heterotroph is an organism that depends on organic matter already produced by other organisms for its nourishment. Photoheterotrophs obtain their energy from sunlight and carbon from organic material and not carbon dioxide.
keystone species definition
keystone species are species on which teh health, balance and diversity of an organism depends
what happens to an ecosystme if the keystone species dies or is removed
when teh keystone species is not resent in teh eco system, there is no cycle of eating and reproducing and species are eliminated from the ecosystem
