Ecosystems

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Ecosystem

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Description and Tags

24 Terms

1

Ecosystem

A self-regulating biological community in which living things interact with their physical environment.

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2

Biome

Very large scale, global ecosystem

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3

Autotroph

Self feeders. Produce their own food by photosynthesis.

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4

Heterotroph

'Other feeders' or consumers. Animals which obtain energy by eating green plants directly or animals that have previously eaten green plants

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5

Detritovore

Eats non-living or decaying organic matter. Includes millipedes, dung beetles or earthworms.

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6

Primary succession

Stages of growth on surfaces where there has been no previous vegetation such as bare rock and sand dunes.

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7

Secondary succession

Growth of vegetation following the destruction or modification of the existing plant community e.g. by fire or landslides

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8

Pioneer species

First plants to colonise bare ground

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9

Climatic climax

Vegetation and animals found if succession is allowed to continue undisturbed.

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10

Arresting factor

A change in conditions that halts natural succession.

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11

Plagioclimax

Succession that is interrupted by human factors e.g. deforestation, slash and burn, grazing of animals.

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12

Biomass

The dry weight of all the organic matter within organisms in an ecosystem

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13

Psammosere

Process of succession in a sand dune system

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14

Trophic pyramid

Shows the weight of organic matter per unit area and shows energy transfers within an ecosystem.

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15

Deciduous woodland

A woodland whose trees that lose their leaves in the winter

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16

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The amount of energy captured by green plants in an ecosystem minus the energy used for respiration. Represented as biomass in grammes/m2/year

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17

Surtsey

An island off the coast of Iceland that formed in 1963. An example of primary succession.

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18

Supporting services

Benefits of biodiversity that allow ecosystems to exist, such as primary production, soil formation, and nutrient cycling

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19

Provisioning services

Benefits of biodiversity that humans use, including food, water, wood and fuel

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20

Regulating services

benefits of biodiversity that include climate regulation, flood control, and water purification

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21

Cultural services

benefits of biodiversity that provide aesthetic, spiritual, or recreational value

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22

indicator species

Species that are monitored and serve as early warnings that a community or ecosystem is being degraded.

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23

biotic factors

living parts of an ecosystem e.g. plants, animals, fungi, decomposers

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24

abiotic factors

non-living components of an ecosystem e.g. wind, water, sunlight, temperature

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