2Ecology: Energy Role Relationships

ecology

study of the relationships of living things to one another & to their environment

ecosystem

group of organisms that live in an area, along with their non-living (abiotic) surroundings

abiotic

non-living; never alive, , contains no cells or DNA

Examples: sunlight, water, air, soil, rocks

biotic

living or once alive, contains at least one cell and DNA

organism

a single living thing (biotic factor) that has to contain at least one cell with genetic material/DNA

producer

organism that makes its own food (autotroph)

consumer

organism that can't make its own food; it must consume (eat) other organisms to get energy (heterotroph)

decomposer

organism that breaks down dead organisms & waste into nutrients

decomposition

process of breaking down dead organisms & waste into nutrients

competition

when organisms interact for the same resource to get what they need to survive

predation

when one organism (predator) kills and eats another (prey)

carnivore

a type of consumer that eats other animals for energy

**scavengers eat only dead meat**

herbivore

a type of consumer that eats plants for energy

omnivore

a type of consumer that eats plants & animals for energy

autotroph

another word for producer; an organism that can make their own food using sunlight only!

heterotroph

another word for consumer; any organism that rely on other organisms for their food

photosynthesis

process in which producers use the energy in sunlight to turn water and CO2 into sugar and oxygen

chemosynthesis - extra

process in which special bacteria create food from chemicals at a hydrothermal vent

food chain

simple diagram that shows the feeding relationships and energy transfer in an ecosystem

food web

diagram that shows how energy is transferred within an entire ecosystem

limiting factor

any biotic or abiotic factor that causes a population to stop growing, or decrease in size

examples of limiting factors

anything that an organism NEEDS (sunlight, water, food, space to remain healthy, gas exchange)