key Terms
Biosphere: any part of the earth and atmosphere that is able to support and maintain life (including aquatic areas)..
An Ecosystem is: a biological community, which is self-regulating, where living things interact.
The size of an Ecosystem can vary enormously from a small pond to a tropical rainforest to a the entire planet - this is referred to as the global ecosystem
An ecosystem has two main parts:
Biotics can be divided further into:
Consumers include:
All ecosystems have a:
A Biome is a regional or global biotic community characterised mainly by the prevailing vegetation and climate
Biomass: energy found within any plant or animal material.
Biomass can be measured in three ways:
Leaching: The process whereby water/rainfall removes and transports nutrients from soil.
Succession: is a directional, non-seasonal cumulative change in the types of plant species that occupy a given area through time.
An Ecosystem is: a biological community, which is self-regulating, where living things interact.
The size of an Ecosystem can vary enormously from a small pond to a tropical rainforest to a the entire planet - this is referred to as the global ecosystem
An ecosystem has two main parts:
- Abiotic: Non living components e.g. air, water, temperature, rock.
- Biotic: Living components e.g. plants, insects and animals.
Biotics can be divided further into:
- Autotrophs: Producers
- Heterotrophs: Consumers
Consumers include:
- Herbivores: Feeds on plants
- Carnivores: Feeds on flesh
- Omnivores: Feeds on both plants and flesh
- Detritivores: Feed on decomposing organic matter
All ecosystems have a:
- Community: All species found in a particular ecosystem.
- Population: All the individuals of a given species in a specific area or region at a certain time
- Habitat: the place where a population lives
A Biome is a regional or global biotic community characterised mainly by the prevailing vegetation and climate
Biomass: energy found within any plant or animal material.
Biomass can be measured in three ways:
- Calories
- Dry Weight
- Ash Weight (Weight after burning).
Leaching: The process whereby water/rainfall removes and transports nutrients from soil.
Succession: is a directional, non-seasonal cumulative change in the types of plant species that occupy a given area through time.