Ecology and Ecosystems Flashcards

Grade 9 · Science · Flashcards

Master ecology vocabulary with these 12 flashcards covering ecosystems, food webs, and ecological relationships.

Flashcards

Ecology: The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
Ecosystem: All living organisms (community) plus their abiotic (non-living) environment in a given area.
Producer (Autotroph): Organism that converts solar or chemical energy into food; base of food chains (e.g., plants).
Consumer (Heterotroph): Organism that eats other organisms to get energy; can be primary, secondary, or tertiary.
Decomposer: Organism (bacteria/fungi) that breaks down dead matter and returns nutrients to the ecosystem.
Food Chain: A linear sequence showing how energy passes from producer to consumers to decomposers.
Food Web: A network of interconnected food chains showing the complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem.
Trophic Level: Position in a food chain; level 1 = producers, level 2 = primary consumers, etc.
10% Rule: Only about 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next; 90% is lost as heat.
Mutualism: Symbiosis where both species benefit (e.g., clownfish and sea anemone).
Parasitism: Symbiosis where one organism benefits and the other is harmed (e.g., flea and dog).
Biodiversity: The variety of life in an area; linked to ecosystem stability and resilience.