Biotic & Abiotic Factors
What is an ecosystem?
A community where living and non-living things interact with one another.
What is a habitat?
The place in which an organism lives.
What are the 3 main things plants need for photosynthesis?
- Light, water, and carbon dioxide
What is the difference between Primary and Secondary consumers?
- Primary consumers only eat plants (herbivores are primary consumers).
- Secondary consumers eat plants and/or other animals (carnivores and omnivores are secondary consumers).
What makes a detritivore different from a decomposer?
Detritivores:
- eat the remains of dead organisms.
- can be seen with the naked eye.
Decomposers:
- break down dead organic materials into more simple nutrients.
- usually can only be seen under a microscope.
What is a biotic factor? Give 1 example.
Biotic factors are living things.
Examples:
- plants (producers)
- animals (consumers)
- fungi (decomposers)
What is a niche?
- An organism's role within its ecosystem.
What makes plants autotrophs?
- Plants are autotrophs because they are able to make their own food, with the help of sunlight through photosynthesis.
- autotrophs = "self-feeders"
What makes consumers heterotrophs?
- Consumers are heterotrophs because they must eat other organisms to get energy, this is because they cannot make their own food.
- heterotrophs = "other-feeders"
Why are decomposers important? What do they provide plants with?
Decomposers clean up waste by converting dead organic material into nutrients for plants.
What is an abiotic factor? Give 1 example.
Abiotic factors are non-living things.
Examples:
- Sun
- Rain
- Rocks
Name 3 components of an organism's niche
- What it eats
- What eats it
- Its habitat
- Its nesting site
- Its effect on the population around it
- Its effect on its environment
What source of energy do plants make during photosynthesis? (hint: one of the products of photosynthesis)
During photosynthesis, plants make and store energy in the form of glucose.
What are the 3 different categories of consumers?
- Herbivores (only eat plants)
- Carnivores (only eat meat)
- Omnivores (eat both plants and meat)
Are bacteria decomposers or detritivores?
- Bacteria are decomposers. They break down dead organic material into more simple nutrients for plants.