Untitled Flashcards Set

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms and their physical environment interacting as a system.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an ecosystem such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living components of an ecosystem such as climate, soil, water, and minerals.

Food Chain

A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

Food Web

A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem.

Producer

Organisms that can produce their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Consumer

Organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

Decomposer

Organisms that break down dead or decaying organic material.

Trophic Level

The position an organism occupies in a food chain.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Cellular Respiration

The process of breaking down sugar and oxygen to release energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Ecological Succession

The gradual process of change and replacement in the composition of an ecosystem.

Primary Succession

The development of an ecosystem in an area that has not previously supported life.

Secondary Succession

The restoration of an ecosystem after a disturbance that leaves the soil intact.

Niche

The role or function of an organism or species in an ecosystem.

Habitat

The natural environment in which a species lives.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that disrupt local ecosystems and can outcompete native species.

Endangered Species

Species at risk of extinction due to habitat loss, climate change, or other factors.

Climate Change

Long-term alteration in temperature and typical weather patterns in a place.

Greenhouse Effect

The trapping of heat by greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, leading to an increase in global temperatures.

Biomagnification

The increasing concentration of toxic substances in organisms at each trophic level.

Ecological Footprint

The measure of human impact on Earth's ecosystems, expressed as the amount of land and water area required.

Sustainability

The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Pollution

The introduction of harmful substances or contaminants into the environment.

Conservation

The protection and preservation of natural resources and biodiversity.

Eutrophication

Nutrient enrichment of water bodies, leading to excessive growth of algae and depletion of oxygen.