T7- ecology Flashcards
what are abiotic factors?
non-living factors of the environment
what are biotic factors?
living factors of the envionment
what are stable communities
all species and environmental factors are in balance
what is the interdependence of a species
species depend on other species for food, shelter, pollination and seed dispersion
give 3 abiotic factors
light intensity
soil ph and mineral content
temperature
give 3 biotic factors
new predators
new pathogens
competition
what is competition
organisms competing for resources from other organisms and the environment to survive
give 4 things plants compete for
nutrients
water
light
space
give 3 things animals compete for
mates
territory
food
what are trophic levels
the different stages of a food chain- consists of one/more organisms that perform a specific role in the food chain
name the 4 trophic levels
- producer
- primary consumer
- secondary consumer
- tertiary consumer
what are tertiary consumers also known as and why
apex predators- they are the top o f the food chain so don’t have predators
what are decomposers and what do they do
microorganisms that break down dead plant and animal matter by secreting enzymes
matter is broken down into small, soluble food molecules which move into them by diffusion
what are pyramids of biomass
show the relative biomass at each trophic level
why does biomass decrease as you go up the trophic levels
not all of it can be digested- bones, teeth
biomass consumed can be egested as feces/urine
