| A | B |
|---|
| autotrophs | organisms that produce their own food and inorganic substances like plants |
| heterotrophs | obtain food by consuming plants or other animals |
| heterotrophs are also known as | consumers |
| primary consumers can be both | herbivores or omnivors |
| herbivors | plant eaters |
| omnivores | plant & meat eaters |
| Secondary consumers are | carnivores |
| carnivores | meat eaters |
| teriary consumersare carnivors that eat | other carnivores or omnivores |
| trophic levels of an ecosystem | divisions of how an organism meets it's nutritional needs |
| autotrophs are known as the | producers, the most important trophic level |
| food chain | the path along which food is transferred from level to level |
| food web | interrelationship of many food chains |
| decomposers | bacteria and fungi |
| decomposers consume | nonliving organic material and release inorganic material which is recycled thru the ecosystem |
| factors that affect an ecosystem are classified as | abiotic or biotic |
| abiotic | non living influences on an ecosystem - temp. humidity, soil composition |
| biotic | living parts of the ecosystem |
| symbiosis | separate species living together |
| parasitism | one species benefits, and one spesies is harmed |
| commensalism | one spesies benefits and one is unaffected-remora and shark |
| mutualism | both species benefit |
| biosphere | the entire portion of our planet that is inhabited by all living things |
| biomes | within the biosphere are groups of ecosytems that are common to geographical areas |
| terestrial biomes are classified according to | differences in climate |
| deserts | little precipitation and the most arid |
| tropical rain forests | constant temp of 68-90 degrees, high humidity, lots of rain, little light reaches the forest floor |
| deciduous forests | where air has enough moisture to support growth of large trees like oaks and maples. trees that drop their leaves during dry months |
| coniferous forests | high and cool elevations, fir & pine trees. they do not drop their leaves |
| tundras | very cold temps, high altitudes, shrubs and bushes grow but no trees |
| aquatic biomes | swamps, wetlands, rivers, streams, coral reefs and estuaries |
| marine biomes | occupy the oceans and are classified according to their depth & proximity to shoreline |
