Vocabulary Flashcards
Food chain
represents a single pathway through which energy and matter flow
trophic level
the levels that species stayed and feed on
biotic factors
living things
abiotic factors
non-living things
niche
the role of a species in its ecosystem
scavengers
consumes the soft tissues of dead animals
Habitat
the physical environment in which a species live
Food webs
the arrow which shows the direction of energy flow
Ecology
the study of how living things interact with each other and with their environment
Biomass
the total mass of organisms at a trophic level
decomposers
break down remains and other wastes, and release simple inorganic molecules back to the environment
omnivores
consumes both plants and animals
carnivores
consume animals
herbivores
consume producers
K- strategists
Animals have better conditions for offspring, and babies have a higher chance of living to adulthood
R- strategists
Animals have lower chance for offspring, because of unstable environment, leading to many babies, but have lower chance of living to adulthood
competitive exclusion
species cannot occupy
identical niches within a community
dispersion
the act of spreading things or people over a wide area
Ecological succession
the process by which natural communities replace (or “succeed”) one another over time.
Secondary succession
when a climax community or intermediate community is impacted by a
disturbance.
