Vocab Refresher A Flashcards
(16 cards)
Biodiversity
A measure of the richness, with regard to species, that is found within an area. The more varied an ecosystem is, the more stable the ecosystem.
Producers
Organisms, known as autotrophs, that synthesize their own food source (glucose) by using the process of photosynthesis
Community
All of the living populations that are found and interact within an ecosystem
Food web
Complex interconnections that show the feeding relationships of organisms within an ecosystem. The more connections, the more stable the ecosystem
Abiotic
The non-living factors that influence living organisms such as water, temperature, soil, and atmosphere.
Herbivores
An organism that feeds exclusively on plant material,
Example: a deer
Biotic
The living organisms found within an ecosystem
Niche
The realized role that an organism fills within an ecosystem. It defines where it fits within a food web or energy pyramid
Biosphere
All living organisms that encompass the Earth
Consumers
Organisms that must take in preformed nutrients (organic compounds). These heterotrophs may ingest, absorb, or engulf their nutrient
Population
All living organisms of one species that live and interact with an ecosystem
Energy Pyramid
A model that shows the flow of energy in an ecosystem from producers to consumers. As energy flows up this model, it decreases being lost as heat or metabolism.
Climax stage
The most biodiverse and stable stage of ecological succession
Nonrenewable resources
Those resources that are unable to replace and, once used up, are gone. Fossil fuels are examples of this type of resource
Carnivores
Organisms that feed exclusively on other animals
Ex: fox
Ecosystem
The interactions of living organisms and non-living factors within a defined area
