Ecosystems and Biological Interactions Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic ecology, food chains/webs, predator-prey dynamics, pest control, and biodiversity based on the lecture notes.

Species

A group of animals or plants that breed together to produce fertile offspring.

Population

The number of individuals of the same species in an area.

Biotic Factor

Living factors that affect an ecosystem, such as disease, predators, and food.

Community

All the plants and animals living in an area.

Abiotic Factor

Non-living factors such as soil pH, temperature, light intensity, and moisture.

Habitat

The area where organisms live.

Ecosystem

All the abiotic and animals in an area together with the environmental conditions.

Food Web

A system that contains many interconnected food chains.

Food Chain

A sequence that shows the transfer of energy from one organism to another.

Producers

Plants that obtain their energy from the Sun through the process of photosynthesis.

Apex predator

The predator at the top of the food chain, such as a fox.

Biomass

The mass of living material in a population or community, measured as the amount of a substance in $\text{g}$ or $\text{kg}$.

Predator

An animal with characteristics such as being stealthy, having big sharp teeth, being quick, having strong legs, and forward facing eyes.

Prey

An animal with characteristics such as eyes on the side of the head for $360$ vision, camouflage, and colors to mimic toxic animals.

Pest

Any organism which reduces the yield of a crop for a farmer.

Pesticide

A chemical used to kill animals or plants that could reduce the yield of a crop.

Bioaccumulation

The build-up of toxic pesticides within a food chain, which can poison apex predators or enter the human food chain.

Insecticides

Chemicals specifically designed to kill insect pests on a farm.

Biological pest control

The practice of using natural predators, such as ladybugs, to kill pests.

Biodiversity

The number of different species within a specific area.