Ecological definitions Ecological Term

ECOSYSTEM

Definition
A self- supporting system in which all the living organisms (biotic factors) and environmental factors (abiotic factors) in a particular area interact together and are interdependent.

All the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) factors in a habitat which affect an organism.

ENVIRONMENT

1) living (= biotic)2) non-living (= abiotic)-

POPULATION COMMUNITY

All the individuals of one species occupying the same habitat at the same time.

All the organisms/populations occupying the same habitat at the same time.

The place or location where an organism lives.

HABITAT
Each habitat is characterised by specific physical (abiotic) conditions and the species of other organisms present. The role of a species within a particular habitat/ecosystem.

NICHE
Two different species do not normally occupy exactly the same niche in the same habitat at the same time (= competitive exclusion principle).

SPECIES

A group of similar organisms that can breed together to produce fertile offspring

FOOD CHAIN

A sequence of organisms in an ecosystem in which each is the food of the next organism in the sequence. Arrows represent energy flow through the chain.

FOOD WEB

All the interconnected food chains in an ecosystem (usually very complex).

A feeding level in a food web It is defined by the method of obtaining food and all the organisms in a particular trophic level are the same number of energy transfers away from the producers. Usually an organism belongs to only one trophic level, but some e.g. omnivores can occupy two.

TROPHIC LEVEL

The first organism in a food chain (first trophic level).

PRODUCER

It is an autotroph - i.e. capable of manufacturing organic molecules/food, normally by photosynthesis. Most producers are green plants.

The second organism in a food chain (second trophic level)

PRIMARY CONSUMER

It is a consumer feeds on and obtains energy from the producer It is a herbivore (eats plants)

SECONDARY CONSUMER

Feeds on and obtains energy from the primary consumer It is a carnivore (eats animals)

A graphical representation in the form of a pyramid of the number of organisms in each trophic level in an ecosystem. The width of each block is proportional to the number of organisms in each trophic level.

PYRAMID OF NUMBERS
Every organism counts as one irrespective of its size/energy content. So pyramids of numbers can be inverted if there are many smaller consumers feeding on a large producer or in the case of parasites feeding on a host.

A representation of the biomass in each trophic level in an ecosystem. Dry mass is used to get over the problem of variation in water content. The width of each block is proportional to the biomass in each trophic level.

PYRAMID OF BIOMASS (More reliable)

Units = mass /unit of area

kg/m2

(kg/m-2)

Pyramid is no longer inverted if there are many smaller consumers feeding on a large producer or in the case of parasites feeding on a host. But pyramid can still be inverted where there are seasonal changes in biomass e.g. plankton A representation of the energy in each trophic level in an ecosystem;

PYRAMID OF ENERGY

The width of each block in proportional to the energy in each trophic level; Units =mass/unit of area/unit of time KJ /m2 /year (KJ/ m-2 year -1 )

Pyramid is never inverted always pyramid shape.