Ecosystems Flashcards
Habitat
The place where an organism lives.
Population
All the members of one species living in a habitat.
Community
All the plants, animals and microorganisms living in a habitat.
Species
A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
Producer
A green plant that uses sunlight to make its own food (chemical energy) by photosynthesis.
Consumer
An organism that cannot produce its own food, it gains energy by eating another organism (plant or animal).
Omnivore
An organism that eats a mixture of plant and animal material.
Carnivore
An organism that eats animal material only.
Herbivore
An organism that eats plant material only.
Predator
An animal which hunts and kills other animals for food.
Prey
An animal which is hunted and killed for food by another animal.
Food web
A diagram which shows interconnected food chains.
Food chain
A diagram which shows the transfer of energy between organisms.
Biodiversity
The number, abundance and variety of species.
Ecosystem
Made up of all the organisms (the community) living in a particular habitat and the non-living parts with which the organisms interact. (Ecosystem = habitat + community)
