BIOLOGY FLASHCARD on Chapter 3 "The Biosphere"

Front

What are fungi and bacteria in the food chain?

Back

Decomposers - Organisms that break down dead or decaying organic material, returning nutrients to the ecosystem.

Front

What is it called when every single member of a species dies and none are left alive?

Back

Extinction - The end of an organism or a group of organisms, leading to the loss of biodiversity.

Front

What may happen if the snowshoe hare was removed from the food web?

Back

The shrew population would decrease due to being the only food source for hawks.

Front

What term describes living organisms?

Back

Biotic - Refers to all living components of an ecosystem.

Front

How do consumers get energy?

Back

By hunting, searching, and/or gathering their own food.

Front

What is the role of producers in an ecosystem?

Back

Producers - Organisms that create their own food through photosynthesis, forming the base of the food chain.

Front

What is biodiversity?

Back

Biodiversity - The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, including the number of species.

Front

What are abiotic factors?

Back

Abiotic - Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms.

Front

What is a food web?

Back

Food Web - A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem.

Front

What is the significance of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Back

Decomposers recycle nutrients back into the soil, making them available for producers.