IA1 Science Revision- Ecology

Ecology

The science of ecosystems

Taxonomy/Classification

Sorts organisms into organizational levels: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species, starting broader to more specific

Dichotomous Key

Splits organisms using questions about their features/behaviour

Ecosystem

Biotic and abiotic factors working together in an environment

Primary Producer

A plant that produces its own food/energy through photosynthesis, autotroph, first trophic level

Primary Consumer

A herbivore/omnivore who eats a producer, heterotroph, second trophic level, first-order consumer

Secondary Consumer

A carnivore/omnivore who eats the primary consumer, heterotroph, third trophic level, second-order consumer

Tertiary Consumer

A carnivore/omnivore who eats the secondary consumer, heterotroph, fourth trophic level, third-order consumer

Quaternary Consumer

Usually the highest level of a food chain/web, a carnivore/omnivore who eats the tertiary consumer, heterotroph, fifth trophic level, fourth-order consumer

Apex Predator

The top of a food chain/web, no natural predators

Trophic Levels

Positions of organisms on a food chain/web

Carnivore

An animal who only eats meat (eats other consumer)

Herbivore

An animal who only eats plants (eats producers)

Omnivore

An animal who eats meat and plants (eats producers and other consumers)

Detritivores

A creature that breaks down dead matter physically and internally by consuming it, releasing its nutrients back into the soil for producers to use

Decomposers

A creature that breaks down dead matter chemically without consuming it, releasing its nutrients back into the soil for producers to use

Food Chains

Shows the energy transfer between organisms in a linear chain

Food Webs

Made up of interconnected food chains, shows a realistic representation of the energy transfer between organisms

Abiotic Factors

Non-living things in an ecosystem

Biotic Factors

Living things in an ecosystem

Habitat

The area where an ecosystem is located

Community

Group of different populations working together in a habitat

Population

The number of a certain species in an area

Symbiosis/Symbiotic relationships

A close and permanent relationship between two different species

Mutualism

Type of symbiosis where both species benefit, for example, bees and flowers (+,+)

Commensalism

Type of symbiosis where one species benefits but the other species neither benefits nor gets harmed, for example, remoras and sharks (+,_)

Parasitism

Type of symbiosis where one species gets benefits (parasite) and the other species gets harmed (host), for example, mosquitoes (parasite) and humans (host) (+,-)

Competition

Species (could be different/same) compete for the same resources like food or shelter, for example, foxes and dingoes compete for prey- rabbits

Predator-Prey

The relationship between two organisms which one eats the other as food