Topic 7- Ecology Keywords Flashcards
Ecosystem
Interaction of a community of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts of their environment
Interdependence
Each species in a community depending on one another e.g. food, shelter, seed dispersal, pollination. If one species is removed, it can affect the whole community
Abiotic factors
Non-living factors that can affect a community e.g. light, temperature, soil pH
Biotic factors
Living factors that can affect a community e.g. availability of food, new predators arriving, new pathogens
Adaptations
Features that enable organisms to survive in the conditions in which they normally live. They could be behavioural, structural or functional
Producer
Starts off a food chain. Usually a green plant or alga that photosynthesises. Eaten by primary consumers
Quadrat
Square frame used to count organisms to estimate a population, e.g. random sampling
Transect
A straight line where samples are taken at regular intervals using a quadrat
Predator
Consumer that kills and eats other animals
Decomposers
Organisms that break down dead plant and animal matter by secreting enzymes into the environment
Pyramids of biomass
Constructed to represent the relative amount of biomass in each level of a food chain. Trophic level 1 is at the bottom of the pyramid.
Food security
Having enough food to feed a population.
Mycoprotein
A protein-rich food suitable for vegetarians
Carbon cycle
Returns carbon from organisms to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide to be used by plants in photosynthesis
Water cycle
Provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into seas. Water is continuously evaporated and precipitated
