Ecology and Human Impact III Flashcards
(51 cards)
What are trophic levels?
The feeding positions in a food chain or food web representing the different levels at which organisms obtain energy.
Examples of trophic levels
Producers primary consumers secondary consumers tertiary consumers decomposers.
What is biomass?
The total mass of living organisms in a given area or trophic level.
How does biomass change in an energy pyramid?
Biomass generally decreases at each successive trophic level due to energy loss.
What is an organism?
A single living being.
What is a population?
A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time.
What is a community?
All the different populations of organisms living and interacting in a particular area.
What is an ecosystem?
All the living organisms biotic factors in an area interacting with each other and with their non-living environment abiotic factors.
What is a biome?
A large region of Earth characterized by a distinct climate and dominant plant life e.g. desert rainforest tundra.
What is a biosphere?
The sum of all ecosystems on Earth the part of Earth where life exists.
What is an autotroph?
An organism that produces its own food usually through photosynthesis e.g. plants algae.
What is a heterotroph?
An organism that obtains its food by consuming other organisms.
Types of consumers heterotrophs
Primary Secondary Tertiary.
What is a primary consumer?
An herbivore that feeds on producers.
What is a secondary consumer?
A carnivore or omnivore that feeds on primary consumers.
What is a tertiary consumer?
A carnivore or omnivore that feeds on secondary consumers.
Define a food chain
A single pathway describing how energy flows from one organism to another.
Define a food web
A network of interconnected food chains in an ecosystem showing multiple feeding relationships.
In a food chain or food web which way do the arrows point?
The arrows point to the organism receiving the energy when consuming.
What is an energy pyramid?
A graphical representation showing the decrease in energy as it moves up trophic levels.
Explain the Rule of 10 in an energy pyramid
Only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next level the remaining 90% is lost as heat.
Define symbiosis
A close and long-term interaction between two different biological organisms.
What is mutualism?
A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.
Example of mutualism
Bees pollinating flowers bees get nectar flowers get pollinated.
