Energy Flow in Ecosystems Flashcard

Front

What is biomass?

Back

The total dry weight of organisms in an ecosystem.

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What is a tertiary consumer?

Back

An organism that is at the top of the food chain, feeding on secondary consumers, such as a fox.

Front

What is a decomposer?

Back

An organism that gets energy from breaking down dead organisms, non-living material, or waste.

Front

What is a primary consumer?

Back

An organism that feeds on producers, such as a herbivorous duck.

Front

What role do maggots play in an ecosystem?

Back

Maggots are decomposers that feed on dead and decaying organisms.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

A complex network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem.

Front

What is the difference between a producer and a consumer?

Back

Producers create their own food through photosynthesis, while consumers obtain energy by eating other organisms.

Front

What is an autotroph?

Back

An organism that produces its own food, typically through photosynthesis.

Front

What is a heterotroph?

Back

An organism that cannot produce its own food and must consume other organisms for energy.

Front

What is an ecosystem?

Back

A community of living organisms and their interactions with the environment.