chapter 5 Flashcards
(17 cards)
photosynthesis
Energy from the sun enters as an ecosystem when organisms use sunlight to make sugar.
producer
an organism that makes its own food.
consumer
organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms.
decomposer
consumers that get their food by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms.
cellular respiration
The process of breaking down carbohydrates to yield energy.
food chain
Is the path in which energy is transferred from one organism to the the next as each organism eats another organism.
food web
Includes more organisms and shows the feeding relationships between organisms that are possible in an ecosystem.
trophic level
Each step through which energy is transferred in a food chain.
carbon cycle
A process by which carbon is cycled between the atmosphere, land, water, and organisms.
nitrogen fixing bacteria
can fix atmospheric nitrogen into a useful form called ammonia.
nitrogen cycle
A process in which nitrogen is cycled between the atmosphere, soil, and organisms.
phosphorus cycle
The movement of phosphorus from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment.
ecological succession
A gradual process of change and replacement of some or all of the species in a community.
primary succession
Can occur in areas that previously did not support life.
secondary succession
Occurs in areas where an ecosystem had previously existed.
pioneer species
A species that colonizes an uninhabited area and begins the process of ecological succession.
climax community
Is a final and stable community.
