Eco Basics
When an ecologist counts the number of organism in an ecosystem, he/she is using this method of study.
What are observations?
These are creatures who acquire their energy from abiotic and inorganic compounds within the ecosystem. Ex) Water + Carbon Dioxide = Sugar + Oxygen.
What is an Autotroph / Producer?
In a food web or chain, these symbols show the direction that energy moves.
What is an Arrow?
I'll eat food that consists of flesh as well as plant tissue.
What is an Omnivore?
Powered by the sun. Moves this form of matter by evaporation, perspirations, transpiration, condensation and precipitation.
What is the Hydrologic Cycle (Water Cycle)?
This ecological hierarchy level includes both the living and nonliving components of the environment.
What is Ecosystem?
These are organisms that must obtain their energy from other biotic beings.
This is a model that illustrates the linear pathway that energy takes within an ecosystem.
What is a Food Chain?
As an omnivore, I'll eat a wide variety of "food stuff" within an ecosystem; my standards are pretty low for how I feed.
What is a Generalist?
Via the Earth process, as well as the processes of living creatures, matter is continually moving.
What are Biogeochemical Cycles?
This is an ecological hierarchy level that includes many populations of species interacting in the same place.
What is a Community?
The majority of Earth's producers get their energy from this source.
What is the Sun (Solar Energy)?
TROPHIC LEVEL: An Owl eats a Mouse that ate a Nut. The Owl in this food chain is this.
What is the Secondary Consumer?
Cow. Deer. Honeybee. Chicken.
What is an Herbivore?
Bacteria use this process to convert atmosphere nitrogen into ammonia (fertilizer) for plants.
What is Nitrogen Fixation?
Temperature. Moisture. pH. Water. Atmosphere. That's what these are.
What are Abiotic Factors?
This term describes how life can take many different and unique forms on Earth.
What is Biodiversity?
What is a Primary Consumer?
You'll find me scouring the ground for plant and animal food scraps; i.e. dead decaying materials.
What is a Detritivore?
What is the Phosphorus Cycle?
This is an organism (species) within a community that has a unusually large effect on its ecosystem; Wolves of Yellowstone.
What is a Keystone Species?
This is a energy production process that uses chemical rich conditions to create energy rich carbohydrate molecules.
What is Chemosynthesis?
This is a model which illustrates (more accurately) how a energy flows throughout an ecosystem; it connects multiple organisms to one another.
What is a Food Web?
These types of vores are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Even though we can't see them, we know they are present from the odors they produce; the cause rot in dead / dying organisms.
What is a Decomposer?
What is the Carbon Cycle?