wildlife biology Flashcards
Ecosystem
Large community of living organisms in a particular area
Biotic Factor
living organisms in an ecosystem
Abiotic Factor
non living organisms in an ecosystem
Organism
a single animal, plant, or single celled life form
Species
a group of living organisms that are appropriate sexes
Population
Same species that live in a particular area
Community
Various species in a common area
Habitat
Where an organism or community lives
Natural Selection
heritable traits are passed down for survival
Evolution
Enhance survival skills in tough conditions
Producers/Autotroph
Produce energy itself
Consumers/Heterotrophs
organisms that consume energy
Primary Consumers
eats the producer/plants
Secondary Consumers
eats the primary consumer
Tertiary Consumers
feeds only on secondary consumer
Herbivores
eats only plants
Carnivores
eats only meat
Omnivores
eats both plants and meat
Decomposers
breaks down dead or decaying organisms
Food Chain
starting from producer ending at apex predator
Food Web
interconnecting food chains in an ecological community
Energy Pyramid
energy flow in a community
Carbon cycle
including photosynthesis, decomposition, and respiration
nitrogen cycle
a continuous series of natural processes by which nitrogen passes successively from air to soil to organisms and back to air or soil
