Ecosystems Flashcards
(18 cards)
biotic
a living organism
abiotic
a non-living organism
photosynthesis
The process in which plants use the sun’s energy to produce food for themselves
producer
An organism that makes its own energy by producing its own food (ex. plants, trees)
consumer
An organism that gets energy by eating other organisms (ex. deer, humans)
predator
an animal that hunts other animals for energy
prey
an animal that is hunted by the predator
herbivore
a consumer that gets energy by eating only plants (Ex. rabbits, giraffes)
omnivore
a consumer that gets energy by eating both plants and animals (ex. bears, birds)
carnivore
a consumer that gets energy by only eating other animals (ex. lions, wolves)
decomposer
an organism that breaks down dead for decaying things and releases nutrients back into the soil (ex. worms, fungi)
scavenger
an organizsm that feeds off of dead organisms before they decompose (ex. vultures, raccoons)
food chain
a diagram that shows how energy is stored by producers and passed on to consumers
food web
diagrams that show relationships between different food chains in an ecosystem as well as the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers
symbiotic relationship
a close relationship between two different kinds of organisms (living things)
mutualism
a relationship where both organisms are helped (ex. a bee and a flower-the bee gets nectar and the flower gets pollinated)
commensalism
a relationship where one organism is helped, and the other is neither harmed nor helped (Ex. a bird;s next and a tree- the tree has shelter, the tree is not affected)
parasitism
a relationship where one organism is helped ( parasite), while the other is harmed (host). (ex. fleas and a dog- fleas feed off of the dog, but the dog’s skin become irritated)
