Interactions with ecosystems Flashcards
(26 cards)
What are the physical factors that influence the survival of organisms?
-Air
-Water
-Temperature
-Light
-Minerals
-Acidity or alkalinity
How does water influence the survival of organisms?
-Essential to the chemical reactions in living organisms, and is a key component for photosynthesis
-Serves as a living environment for aquatic creatures
-Ability to hold temperature moderates temperature changes within its mass and in nearby areas
How does minerals influence the survival of organisms?
-Many plants require high levels of soil minerals to grow well
-Plants with unnaturally yellow leaves may have a magnesium deficiency
-carnivorous plants, have evolved to catch insects to supplement the low levels of soil minerals
What are structural adaptations?
Physical characteristics
that help and organism
to survive in its habitat
What are behavioral adaptations?
Different behaviours
that help and organism
to survive in its habitat
What are the types of ecosystems?
-Aquatic ecosystem
-Terrestrial ecosystem
What are the types of aquatic ecosystems?
-freshwater ecosystem
-marine ecosystem
What are the types of freashwater ecosystems?
-Lentic
-lotic
-Wetlands
What are the types of terrestrial ecosystems?
-forest ecosystems
-grassland ecosystems
-moutain ecosystems
-Desert ecosystems
What is an ecosystem?
The interactions between a community and its physical environment
What are the parts of an ecosystem?
-organism
-population
-community
-ecosystem
What are the interrelationships in an ecosystem?
-Predator-prey relationship
-Mutualism
-Parasitism
What are predators?
Organisms that hunt and kill prey for food
What helps predators hunt and kill prey?
-Adaptaions
-Sharp teeth
-Strong claws
-High speed
-Sharp senses to
detect prey
-Hunting strategries
What are prey?
Preys are organisms that have to avoid being caught by predators
What adaptations help prey avoid being caught by predators?
-High speed
-Small size
-Camouflage
-Defensive body
parts
-Mimic objects to
fool predators
What is mutalism?
Relationship in which two or more organisms support or benefit one another.
What is parasitism?
Organism that causes harm to another organism (a host) without killing it.
What is photosynthesis?
Process where food (glucose) is produced using carbon dioxide and water in the presence of light
What is respiration?
Process where food substances (glucose) is broken down in the presence of oxygen to release energy
What are food chains?
-Arrows in a food chain represents the feeding relationship between organisms.
-During feeding, energy and nutrients are transferred.
What are food webs?
-Food webs show how two or more food chains are
interconnected.
-Producers are always at the start of every food chain
and food web.
What are decomposers functions?
-Breaks down dead plants and
animals
○ Energy is transferred
○ Nutrients within dead organisms returned to the
environment
-Breaks down waste products
How does the flow of energy function?
● At each stage, about 90% of energy is released
into environment as heat
○ Last organism receives least amount of
energy from the sun
○ Lost energy cannot be reused by producers
○ Flow of energy is therefore, non-cyclical
