1 Ecological Systems and Energy Flow Free Online FlashCards

What makes up an ecosystem?

An ecosystem includes the organisms in an area, their interactions, and the nonliving environment in which they live.

What is a population?

A population is members of the same species living in one area.

How do biotic components differ from abiotic conditions?

Biotic components are living organisms; abiotic conditions are nonliving factors such as water, light, soil, and temperature.

How do producers obtain energy?

Producers, such as plants and algae, capture light through photosynthesis and store energy in organic molecules. Some deep-sea vent ecosystems rely on producers using chemical reactions instead.

How do consumers obtain energy?

Consumers obtain energy by eating organisms or organic matter.

What does a food chain show?

A food chain shows one route by which energy passes between organisms, such as grass → grasshopper → frog → snake.

Why is less energy available at higher trophic levels?

Less energy is available at each higher trophic level because organisms use much of their energy for life processes, and some is released as heat.

What is nutrient cycling?

Nutrient cycling is the movement of matter between organisms and the nonliving environment. Matter is recycled and may change form or move at different rates.

What is a community?

A community consists of multiple populations living in one area.

What do decomposers do?

Decomposers, including many fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms and waste.

What does a food web represent?

A food web connects many food chains and represents overlapping feeding relationships in an ecosystem.

What is a trophic level?

A trophic level is a position in a feeding sequence. Producers are at the base, followed by primary consumers and consumers at higher levels.