Ecological Relationships & Energy Flow Exploration Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining key ecological terms, dietary niches, trophic levels, energy laws, biomass concepts, and species relationship dynamics from Honors Biology Unit 1.3A.

Niche

The role that an organism plays in an ecosystem, including how it interacts with its environment and other organisms.

Autotroph

Also known as a producer; an organism that obtains energy via light and converts this energy into chemical energy (sugar).

Heterotroph

Also known as a consumer; an organism that obtains energy by eating other organisms.

Herbivore

An organism that eats only plants.

Carnivore

An organism that eats only animals.

Omnivore

An organism that eats plants and animals.

Scavenger

An organism that feeds exclusively on dead animals.

Detritivore

An organism that feeds on detritus, which is decaying plant and animal matter, and feces.

Decomposer

An organism that grows on the surface of or grows out of dying or dead organic matter.

Ecosystem Recyclers

Organisms belonging to the scavenger, detritivore, and decomposer niches that play critical roles by breaking down dead matter and returning nutrients to the soil.

Law of Conservation of Energy

A fundamental law stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be transferred and change forms.

Law of Thermodynamics

A law stating that when energy is transformed from one form to another, some of the energy is lost in a less useful form, usually as heat, meaning systems tend toward disorder.

10% Rule

An ecological rule stating that approximately $10\%$ of the food eaten is used for growth and is available as energy to the next trophic level in a food chain.

Biomass

The total amount of living material in an ecosystem, measured as grams of dry mass within an area.

Phytoplankton

Microscopic marine algae that play a key role in aquatic ecosystems and reproduce rapidly, often forming large blooms.

Commensalism

An association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.

Interspecific Competition

A form of competition in which individuals of different species compete for the same resources; may result in loss of resources, injury, or death.

Intraspecific Competition

A form of competition in which individuals of the same species compete for the same resources such as space, food, and access to mates.

Mutualism

A relationship between two or more organisms who all mutually benefit from the interaction.

Parasitism

A relationship where one organism lives on or inside a host organism, stealing nutrients and energy, which harms the host.

Predator-Prey Relationship

An interaction in which one organism kills another organism with the intent to consume it.

Prefix Auto-

A prefix meaning automatically or self.

Prefix Hetero-

A prefix meaning other than self.

Suffix -troph

A suffix meaning source of nutrition.

Prefix Herbi-

A word root derived from Greek meaning plant.

Prefix Omni-

A word root derived from Latin meaning all.

Prefix Carni-

A word root derived from Latin meaning flesh.

Suffix -vore

A suffix derived from Latin meaning devour.

Cellular Respiration and Heat Loss Energy Percentage

Approximately $40\%$ of food energy that is lost as heat or used for cellular respiration.

Waste Loss Energy Percentage

Approximately $50\%$ of food energy that is not digested or absorbed and passes out as waste.