Ecology: Basics and 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

Examples: sunlight, water, air, soil, rocks

biotic

living or once alive

carrying capacity

the largest amount of a species that can survive in an area determined by limiting factors

organism

a single living thing, defined by the 6 characteristics of living things

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

limiting factors

anything that affects the number of individuals in a population

Example: food, water, space, availability of mates, predators, human activity, disease

predation

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

symbiosis

when 2 different organisms rely on each other for survival

mutualism

symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit (are helped)

Example: bees and flowers

parasitism

symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits (parasite), and the other is harmed (host)

Example: tick on a dog

commensalism

symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits, and the other is not affected (is neither helped nor harmed)

carnivore

meat-eater

herbivore

plant-eater

omnivore

eats plants & animals

scavenger

a type of consumer that eats dead animals

autotroph

another word for producer, an organism that can make their own food using energy only!

heterotroph

another word for consumer, and 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

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

grass, shrub, tree

What are the producers in the food web?

squirrel, grasshopper, rabbit, deer

What are the herbivores in this food web?

squirrel, grasshopper, rabbit, deer

What are the primary consumers in this food web?

None in this one! Nothing eats animals and plants.

What are the omnivores in this food web?

Bird, snake, shrew, and hawk

What are the carnivores that are also SECONDARY consumers in this food web?

Hawk, snake, mountain lion

What are the carnivores that are also TERTIARY consumers in this food web?

Fungi and bacteria

What are the TWO decomposers in this food web?

food chain

What is this a picture of?

primary consumer

An organism that eats producers

secondary consumer

An organism that eats primary consumers

tertiary consumer

An organism that eats secondary consumers

apex predator

the top predator in an ecosystem, at the TOP of the energy pyramid or the the last to eat in a food web

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

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

herbivore

a type of consumer that eats plants for energy

omnivore

a type of consumer that eats plants & animals for energy

scavenger

a type of consumer that eats already dead animals (they did not kill them)

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 *BONUS*

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)