Grade 8 General Science - Ecology and Ecosystems Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering ecology, biotic and abiotic factors, the oxygen and carbon cycles, global warming, and the flow of energy through food chains and pyramids.

Ecology

The study of the interrelationships among the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem.

Biotic factors

The living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, insects, and microorganisms.

Abiotic factors

The non-living components of an ecosystem, including temperature, salinity of the soil, and water.

Photosynthesis

The main process by which trees and plants produce oxygen while taking in $CO_2$ from the atmosphere.

Oxygen cycle

The movement of oxygen through the environment where plants release it via photosynthesis and animals or humans breathe it in to survive.

Carbon cycle

The process by which carbon moves through the Earth's ecosystems involving gas exchange, breathing, decay, and the burning of fuel.

Respiration

The process where animals and humans breathe in oxygen and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Global warming

The phenomenon of rising temperatures and decreased rainfall caused by factors such as greenhouse gases and human activity.

Fossil fuel

A major contributor to global warming when burned, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Deforestation

The removal of trees and forests, which disrupts the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide, worsening global warming.

Producers

Organisms like trees, grass, and flowering plants that use light to produce energy and form the base of the food chain.

Consumers

Organisms that obtain energy by eating other organisms, categorized as primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead matter and add nutrients back to the soil.

Food chain

A linear representation of the flow of energy from producers to various levels of consumers.

Food web

A complex network of interconnected food chains within an ecosystem.

Pyramid of Energy

A diagram showing that energy decreases as it moves up trophic levels, with only approximately $10\%$ of energy transferred to the next level.

Primary Consumers

Organisms like grasshoppers, butterflies, and ants that eat producers.

Secondary Consumers

Organisms like rats, sparrows, and frogs that feed on primary consumers.

Tertiary Consumers

High-level consumers such as owls and snakes that feed on secondary consumers.

Quaternary Consumers

Top-level predators in a pyramid of energy, such as an eagle.