Ecology Part Three Review

A collection of vocabulary flashcards to help review key concepts from Ecology Part Three.

Carbon Cycle

The process through which carbon is recycled in the environment, involving the atmosphere, soil, and living organisms.

Climate Change

Long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place, often attributed to human activities increasing CO2 levels.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water, producing oxygen as a byproduct.

Primary Producers

Organisms, primarily plants, that produce energy and biomass through photosynthesis.

Trophic Levels

Levels in an ecosystem, comprising producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers, which describe the flow of energy.

Primary Consumers

Herbivores that eat primary producers, such as plants.

Secondary Consumers

Carnivores that eat primary consumers (herbivores).

Tertiary Consumers

Carnivores that eat secondary consumers within a food chain.

Greenhouse Effect

The warming of Earth’s surface due to the presence of greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane which trap heat.

Water Cycle

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth, involving processes such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem, contributing to resilience and stability.