Ecology Chapter 2: Food Chains

Ecosystems and Food Chains

• A food chain shows how each living organism gets its food and how nutrients are passed from one organism to another.
• Plants and animals depend on each other for survival in an ecosystem.

Predators and Prey

• An animal that hunts and eats other animals for food is called a predator.
• An animal that is hunted by another animal is called prey.

Competition in Ecosystems

• Animals living in the same ecosystem compete with each other for food, water, and space.
• Plants also compete with each other for basic needs like nutrients, sunlight, water, and space.

Balance in Ecosystems

• A change or alteration of any one factor disturbs the balance in the entire ecosystem.
• Natural disasters like storms, floods, famines, and droughts can upset the balance in an ecosystem.

Human Impact on Ecosystems

• Human activities that affect the balance in an ecosystem include deforestation, overgrazing, pollution, overhunting, and overfishing.
• Ways to protect ecosystems include reforestation, treating sewage and waste water, and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Key Terms

• A group of individuals of the same type that live together within an ecosystem at a particular time is called a population.
• Areas that receive medium rainfall are called temperate regions.
• Overgrazing, the practice of cattle that destroys grasses, shrubs, and plants.
• Competition between two or more living organisms for the same basic needs is called competition.
• Reforestation is the growing of trees in areas that once had forests.
• Herbivores are animals that eat plants.

Ecosystems and Food Chains

• A food chain shows how each living organism gets its food and how nutrients are passed from one organism to another.
• Plants and animals depend on each other for survival in an ecosystem.

Predators and Prey

• An animal that hunts and eats other animals for food is called a predator.
• An animal that is hunted by another animal is called prey.

Competition in Ecosystems

• Animals living in the same ecosystem compete with each other for food, water, and space.
• Plants also compete with each other for basic needs like nutrients, sunlight, water, and space.

Balance in Ecosystems

• A change or alteration of any one factor disturbs the balance in the entire ecosystem.
• Natural disasters like storms, floods, famines, and droughts can upset the balance in an ecosystem.

Human Impact on Ecosystems

• Human activities that affect the balance in an ecosystem include deforestation, overgrazing, pollution, overhunting, and overfishing.
• Ways to protect ecosystems include reforestation, treating sewage and waste water, and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Key Terms

• A group of individuals of the same type that live together within an ecosystem at a particular time is called a population.
• Areas that receive medium rainfall are called temperate regions.
• Overgrazing, the practice of cattle that destroys grasses, shrubs, and plants.
• Competition between two or more living organisms for the same basic needs is called competition.
• Reforestation is the growing of trees in areas that once had forests.
• Herbivores are animals that eat plants.

This quiz covers the basics of food chains, including how plants and animals interact and compete for resources. Learn about predators, prey, and the interconnectedness of ecosystems.