Grade 8 Natural Science: Energy Flow and Ecology

Flashcards covering the foundational concepts of ecology, trophic levels, biomes, and energy flow in ecosystems based on the Natural Science transcript.

What is the term for the interaction where living things depend on each other for survival?

Interdependence

How is ecology defined in the notes?

The study of interactions between individuals with their environment.

What are abiotic factors?

Factors in the physical and chemical environment that are not living, such as temperature and soil.

What are biotic factors?

The living environment including all living things that affect an organism, such as food or predators.

What is an ecological population?

A group of the same species (type) of animal that live together in a particular area where they are able to reproduce.

What is an ecological community?

A group of different populations that share the same living area.

What components make up an ecosystem?

A community living in an area together with all the biotic and abiotic factors that affect it.

What is the biosphere?

All the parts of the earth where living things are found, consisting of all ecosystems.

How is a biome defined?

A distinct biological community that has formed in response to a shared physical climate.

In which specific biome is the Addo National Elephant Park located?

The Thicket biome.

Name four biomes found in South Africa mentioned in the text besides Thicket.

Grassland, forest, succulent Karoo, and Fynbos.

What is the definition of a habitat?

The place where an organism lives.

Where does the energy that all living things depend on come from?

The sun.

What are the three trophic levels found in all ecosystems?

PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS, and DECOMPOSERS.

Why are green plants classified as producers?

They are the only organisms that can produce their own food from simple substances like water and carbon dioxide.

What are primary consumers?

Herbivores that eat producers directly.

What are secondary consumers?

Carnivores that feed on herbivores.

What are the three main types of carnivores?

Predators, scavengers, and insectivores.

What is the role of an insectivore?

To eat insects, such as bats.

What is the function of decomposers like bacteria and fungi?

They live off dead remains, break them down, and return useful minerals to the soil.

What is a food chain?

A group of organisms arranged to show the direction in which energy passes from one trophic level to another.

What is a food web?

A series of connected or overlapping food chains showing how energy is transferred between many different organisms.

Why is phytoplankton considered a vital producer in the oceans?

It forms the base of most food chains and produces half of the oxygen in our atmosphere.

What percentage of energy does a slug store from the plant it receives in the provided example?

$$10\%$$

Besides being stored, what happens to the energy obtained from food?

It is used for growth, movement, keeping warm, or lost to the environment as heat.