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Define trophic level.
Position an organism occupies in a food chain or food web.
Define autotroph.
Organism that produces its own food, using sunlight or chemical energy.
Define heterotroph.
Organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms.
Define primary consumer.
An organism that eats producers (herbivore).
Define secondary consumer.
An organism that eats primary consumers (carnivore).
Define tertiary consumer.
An organism that eats secondary consumers (top carnivore).
Define food chain.
Linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.
Define food web.
Interconnected network of food chains in an ecosystem.
Define scavenger.
Organism that consumes dead animals.
Define detritivore.
Organism that feeds on dead organic material (detritus).
Define decomposer.
Organism that breaks down dead organic matter into simpler substances.
Define mutualism.
Symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.
Define commensalism.
Symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped.
Define parasitism.
Symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
Define keystone species.
Species with a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem relative to its abundance.
Explain the 10% rule.
Only about 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next; the rest is lost as heat.
What is resource partitioning?
When species divide a niche to avoid direct competition for resources.
How do predator-prey relationships regulate populations?
Predators control prey populations, preventing overpopulation; prey evolve defenses.
Why are decomposers important?
They recycle nutrients by breaking down dead organic matter, making nutrients available for producers.
What is the role of producers?
They convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.
How does energy loss affect food chains?
Limits the length of food chains because energy is lost as heat at each trophic level.
Explain the importance of keystone species.
They maintain the structure and function of the community; their removal can lead to ecosystem collapse.
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain is a simple linear sequence, while a food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains.
How does competition lead to natural selection?
Species better adapted to access resources are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their traits.
What is the role of scavengers in an ecosystem?
Scavengers consume dead animals, which helps to remove decaying matter and prevent the spread of disease.
Describe the flow of energy through trophic levels.
Energy flows from producers to consumers, with approximately 10% being transferred to each successive level, and the rest lost as heat.
Define trophic level.
Position an organism occupies in a food chain or food web.
Define autotroph.
Organism that produces its own food from inorganic substances, using light or chemical energy.
Define heterotroph.
Organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms.
Define herbivore.
An animal that eats only plants.
Define carnivore.
An animal that eats only other animals.
Define food chain.
A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.
Define food web.
Interconnected network of food chains in an ecosystem.
Define scavenger.
An animal that feeds on dead or decaying matter.
Define detritivore.
An organism that feeds on dead organic material (detritus).
Define decomposer.
Organism that breaks down dead organic matter into simpler substances.
Define mutualism.
A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.
Define commensalism.
A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.
Define parasitism.
A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
Define keystone species.
A species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem relative to its abundance.