Glossary
Food Chain
A linear sequence illustrating the transfer of energy from one organism to another through feeding relationships.
Example:
In a simple grassland ecosystem, grass is eaten by a grasshopper, which is then eaten by a frog, forming a direct food chain.
Food Web
A complex, interconnected network of multiple food chains within an ecosystem, showing the diverse feeding relationships.
Example:
The intricate connections between various species in a forest, where owls eat mice, mice eat seeds, and snakes eat mice, illustrate a complex food web.
Invasive Species
A non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
Example:
The introduction of the Burmese python to the Florida Everglades has led to a significant decline in native mammal populations, making it a destructive invasive species.
Negative Feedback Loops
Mechanisms that counteract change in a system, helping to maintain stability and return it to its original state.
Example:
When a deer population grows too large, increased grazing reduces vegetation, which then leads to a decline in the deer population due to less food, demonstrating a negative feedback loop.
Positive Feedback Loops
Mechanisms that amplify change in a system, pushing it further away from its original state and leading to instability.
Example:
As Arctic ice melts, the darker ocean surface absorbs more solar radiation, leading to further warming and more ice melt, creating a positive feedback loop that accelerates climate change.
Primary Consumers
Herbivores that obtain energy by consuming producers.
Example:
A rabbit munching on clover is acting as a primary consumer in its meadow habitat.
Producers
Organisms that create their own food, typically through photosynthesis, forming the base of most food chains.
Example:
Sunflowers in a field are producers, converting sunlight into energy that supports the entire ecosystem.
Secondary Consumers
Carnivores or omnivores that obtain energy by consuming primary consumers.
Example:
A fox hunting and eating a rabbit is an example of a secondary consumer.
Trophic Cascade
A powerful indirect interaction that can control entire ecosystems, initiated by a change in the population of an apex predator.
Example:
The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park led to a trophic cascade, reducing elk populations and allowing willow and aspen trees to recover along rivers.