Details Title: ch 16 Description: ecosytems Total Flash Cards: 28 Created: 05/28/2008 13:25:07		New Users: To study from this flashcard set, or to create your own your own study flash cards, REGISTER HERE. Existing Users: CLICK HERE. Additional Biology Flashcards
Cards in this set: Term ecology Definition the study of interactions of living organisms with one another and with their physical environment Term habitat Definition the place where a particular population of a species lives Term community Definition differnet species live together in a habitat Term ecosytem Definition a community and all the physical aspects of its habitat such as soil, water, and weather Term abiotic factors Definition the physical aspects of a habitat Term biotic factors Definition the organisms in a habitat Term biodiversity Definition variety of organisms, genetic differences and the communities and ecosystem where they occur Term pioneer species Definition the first living things ina new habitat like small fast growing plants Term succession Definition regular progession of a species replacement Term primary succession Definition succesion that occurs where life has not existed Term secondary succession Definition succession occurs in areas whrer there has been previous growth, such as abandoned fields or forest clearings Term primary productivity Definition the rate at which organic material is produced by photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem Term producers Definition organisms first captured energy Term consumers Definition organisms that consume plants or other organisms to obtain energy necessary to build their molecules Term trophic level Definition a graphic organiser based on the organisms energy Term food chain Definition the path of energy though the trophic levels of an ecosytem Term herbivores Definition second trophic level and are primary producers Term carnivores Definition third trophic level are secondary consumers Term omnivores Definition use simple surgars and starches stored in plants as food, but they cannot digest cellulose Term detrivores Definition organisms that obtain their energy from the organic wastes and dead bodies are produced at all trophic levels Term food web Definition interconnected group of food chains Term energy pyramid Definition a diagram in which each trophic levels id represented by a block stacked on top of each other Term biomass Definition dry weight of tissue and other organic matterial found ina specific ecosystem Term bichemical cycle Definition a pathway forms whem a substance enters living organisms such as trees from the atmosphere, water or soil; stays for a time in the living organism; then returns to the nonliving environment Term ground water Definition  water seeps into the soil beneath the surface of the earth Term transpiration Definition water moves in the the atmosphere by evaporating from leaves Term nitrogen fixation Definition the process of combining nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonia Term decomposer Definition bacteria and fungi