Ecology Flashcards
(28 cards)
Environment
The environment is everything that surrounds and animal or plant (for example air, water, rocks and soil.
Habitat
The habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives.
Interdependence
Interdependence is how organisms depend on each other for their survival. Eg buttercups depend on bees, bees need buttercups.
Ecosystem
All the plants and animals in an area interacting with each other and their environment.
Producer
Plants that make their own food e.g. Grass dandelion
Consumer
Animals that get their food by eating plants or other animals.
Herbivore
An animal that eats plants only e.g. Rabbit,sheep
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals only e.g. Fox, hawk, ladybird
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals e.g. Badger, thrush blackbird, humans.
Decomposer
Organisms that feed on dead on plants and animals e.g. Earthworms
Energy
The energy in any food chain comes from the sun. The amount of energy gets less and less as you go along the food chain.
Food web
A food web is 2 or more interconnected food chains.
Competition
Competition occurs when two or more organisms seek a resource that is limited.
Plants
Plants compete for light, water, minerals and space.
Animals
Animals compete for food, shelter, territory and mates.
Adaptation
Adaptations are features that give an organism a better chance of surviving in their habitat.
Dandelion adaptations
Longs roots to get water.
Compete for space because they are able to spread their seeds in the wind.
Hedgehogs Adaptations
Excellent sense of smell to make them good at finding food.
Spikes to fight off predators.
Colour
Ecology
It is the study of plants, animals, and their environment, and the relationship between them.
Conservation
The protection, preservation and careful use of our nature resources
Pollution
Pollution is adding unwanted wastes to the environment causing change to it.
If one organism I’d damaged it can be harmful to many other plants and animals: the balance of nature can be damaged.
Types of pollution
Air pollution: caused by smoke, dust and harmful gases- most of these come from cars, buses, factories and power stations
Acid rain
When fossil fuels are burned they produce gases called carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide.
These dissolve in rain water to form carbonic acid and sulfuric acid
Damages plants and buildings
Soil pollution
Caused by pesticides, artificial fertilisers and acid rain. Chemicals sink into the soil and can be absorbed by plants, get passed up the food chain and can cause illness