Ecology

Terms in this set (20)

the ability to do work or cause change; can be stored in chemicals found in food and released to the organism to do work

any individual living thing

an ecosystem is a community of living things (plants, animals, people), the environment that surrounds them (soil, water, air) and how they interact

an organism that makes its own food; an organism that does not consume other plants or animals

an organism that cannot make their own food and depend on plants or other animals for nourishment.

an animal that consumes only plants

an animal that eats only other animals

any organism that can create its own food from inorganic materials

an organism that cannot create its own energy and must instead rely on consuming nutrients from other organisms

the group of organisms of the same species living in the same area

the biosphere includes all places on Earth where life exists (cold regions, deserts, oceans, cities)

Biotic components are the living things that shape an ecosystem

all of the nonliving parts of an ecosystem

Primary Consumer

an animal that feeds on plants; an herbivore

Secondary Consumer

organisms, primarily animals, which eat primary consumers

Tertiary Consumer

a carnivore at the topmost level in a food chain that feeds on other carnivores

Quaternary Consumer

eats tertiary consumers (hawk eats owl)

organisms, which carry out the process of decomposition by breaking down dead or decaying organisms

a model that shows one set of feeding relationships among living things

a model that shows many different feeding relationships among living things

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