2.1 Ecosystems And Ecology

Question 1

Species

Answer 1

Roux of organisms that share common characteristics and can interbreed

Question 2

Bionic component

Answer 2

Living components of an ecosystem

Question 3

Abiotic component

Answer 3

Non living components of an ecosystem

Question 4

Habitat

Answer 4

Environment in which a species lives

Question 5

Niche

Answer 5

Role or job that a species has in an ecosystem including where it lives, feeding methods, activity patterns, and interactions with other species

Question 6

Fundamental Niche

Answer 6

Optimal condition for a species to be in an ecosystem

Question 7

Realised niche

Answer 7

Actual lifestyle due to other species in an ecosystem causing competition and predation

Question 8

Abiotic factors in a marine ecosystem and their influences

Answer 8

Salinity (affects buoyancy and the amount of salt in the organisms); temperature (determines amount of s dissolved oxygen); PH (determined solvability of inorganic ions); wave action (mixes air and water to increase oxygen)

Question 9

Abiotic factors in freshwater ecosystems and their influence

Answer 9

Turbidity (cloudiness of water); temperature (determines amount of dissolved oxygen), PH (determines solvability of inorganic ions); flow velocity (impacts the ability for animals to live there, oxygen saturation)

Question 10

Abiotic factors in terrestrial ecosystems and their influence

Answer 10

Temperature (affects metabolism); light intensity (crucial for photosynthesis); soil moisture (provides water and affects soil texture); wind speed (affects animals ability to maintain position); soil particle size (determine amount of alter soil can take); slope (influences water runoff); drainage (affects plants’ ability to pick up water)

Question 11

Competition in an ecosystem

Answer 11

Individuals competing for food and space

Question 12

Predation in ecosystem

Answer 12

Animals kill and eat prey

Question 13

Herbivore

Answer 13

Animals that eat plans

Question 14

Parasitism

Answer 14

When one organism (the parasite) benefits from another organism (the host)

Question 15

Mutalism

Answer 15

Relationship where both organisms benefit

Question 16

Limiting factors

Answer 16

Resource that limits the growth of a population (for example food)

Question 17

Carrying capacity

Answer 17

Maximum number of a species that can be sustainable supported by the system

Question 18

S curve

Answer 18

Most common curve to model a population growth (limited population growth)

Question 19

4 stages of limited growth (S curve)

Answer 19

Stage 1: log phase when the population number is low; Stage 2: exponential growth phase when limiting factors do not affect growth; Stage 3: transitional phase when limiting factors begin to affect population; Stage 4: Plateau phase when the carrying capacity is reached

Question 20

Why can most populations be modelled with an S curve?

Answer 20

Most populations exhibit an S pattern because of the limiting factor tin their environment, where initial growth s slow due to constraints, followed by accelerated expansion until reaching a carrying capacity, at which point growth slows down or stabilises due to resource limitations

Question 21

J shaped curve (exponential growth)

Answer 21

Happens when there are no limiting factors