bio ecology

• ecology


  study of ecosystems
• ecosystem


  a community of living organisms with non living environment
• community


  all populations of all species in an ecosystem at a given time
• population


  all the organisms of one species at a given time
• habitat


  a place where an organism lives
• producer


  autotrophs that produce their own energy; convert light energy from sun into chemical energy
• secondary consumer


  the organisms that eat primary consumers
• primary consumer


  any organism that eats a producer
• tertiary consumer


  the organisms that eat secondary consumers
• herbivore


  an organism that only eats plants
• carnivore


  an organism that only eats other organisms
• omnivore


  an organism that eats both plants and other organisms
• predator


  an organism that captures and eats another
• prey


  organisms that predators feed on
• parasite


  an organism that lives in or on a host organism
• host


  an organism that harbours another organism
• top predator


  predator that exists at the very top of the food chain
• mutualism


  a relationship in which both species are mutually benefited
• what does an arrow show in a food chain

  transfer of energy
• which direction does the arrow go in

  from the food to the consumer
• autotroph

  an organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals
• heterotroph

  an organism that eats other plants and animals for energy and nutrients
• biomass

  total mass of an organism or all organisms of a single species or habitat
• why is only 10% of energy transferred

  heat loss in respiration

  excretion

  not all of the organism is eaten
• trophic levels

  position of an organism in a food chain; used to describe the feeding relationship between organisms
• decomposer


  organisms that get their energy from feeding off dead and decaying organisms and undigested waste by secreting enzymes to break them down
• effiency =


  energy transferred/total energy in, x 100