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Biology M6 > 23) Ecosystems > Flashcards

23) Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a producer

A

Organism that produces organic molecules using sunlight energy

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2
Q

What is a consumer

A

Organism that eats other organisms

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3
Q

What is a decomposer

A

Organism that breaks down dead or undifested organic material

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4
Q

What is the trophic level

A

A stage in a food chain occupied by a particular group of organisms

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5
Q

What is a dynamic system

A

Where factors are changing all the time

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6
Q

What are biotic factors?
Give examples

A

Living features of an ecosystem
eg. predators , microorganisms

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7
Q

What are Abiotic factors?
give eg.

A

Non-living features
eg. temp , rainfall , soil nutrient availability

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8
Q

What is the main route by energy enters an ecosystem

A

Photosynthesis

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9
Q

How is energy transfered in the ecosystem

A

Photosynthesis convert sunlight energy used by producers.
They store energy as biomass.
Energy transfered by biomass transfers.
Energy is transfered when amother organism eats other organisms.

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10
Q

What is thhe difference between Food Chain and Food Web

A

Food Chain - Shows energy transfer

Food Web - How food chains can overlap.

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11
Q

What happens with energy that can’t be eaten

A

Gets recycled back into the ecosystem by decomposers

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12
Q

How much percentage of energy is never taken in by organisms

A

60%

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13
Q

How can energy not entirely be taken in by oganisms.
give eg.

A

Some wrong wavelenth of light is reflected
Some light passes through the leaves
Not all light is taken up for photosynthesis
Some parts are not entirely eaten by organisms ( roots or bones)
Some food are indigestible to come out as waste

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14
Q

What is the energy taken in called

A

gross productivity

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15
Q

what happens to 30% of the totel energy

A

lost to the environment by respiration

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16
Q

what happens to 10 % of the gross productivity

A

becomes biomass

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17
Q

How do you find net productivity

A

gross productivity - respiration loss

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18
Q

How do you find the energy efficiency of an organism

A

energy transferred / energy intake x 100

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19
Q

How can energy transfer be measured

A

Calculate the difference between amount of energy in each level.
Measure the dry mass (biomass)

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20
Q

What is primary succession

A

processes of creating life in an area where no life previously existed

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21
Q

What is secondary succession

A

restabilizationrhat follows a disturbance where life has formed an ecosystems

22
Q

What is primary succession

A

Where species colonise a barren place ( without soil )
progress to climax stage

23
Q

What are pioneer species
give eeg.

A

The first species to colonise an area.
Lichens , moss

24
Q

What effect does pioneer species change to abiotic conditions

A

Die and microorganisms decompose into organic matter.
Make soil and nutrients.
Reduce abiotic conditions.
Stabilise environment
reduce soil pH
availability of water

25
Q

What happens to the ecosystem when abiotic conditions become less hostile

A

Attract more animals and insects
Larger plants such as shrubs start to grow .
Create habitats.

26
Q

Why does biomass increase in secondary sucession

A

Different plants and animals are more adapted , larger and more dense plants out compete smaller plants .

27
Q

What is Climax community

A

Final stage of succession.
Stable group of largest and most complex plants.

28
Q

What are threats to climax community

A

forest fire
deforestation
human building
agriculture purpose

29
Q

What is deflected succession

A

community remain stable , human activity prevents succession from happening

30
Q

What is plagioclimax

A

When succession is stopped aertifically

31
Q

Give examples of plagioclimax / deflected succession

A

agricultre
animal grazing
burning an area
remove vegetation

32
Q

What is the carbon cycle

A

Hoe carbon moves through living organism and non-living environment.

33
Q

What processes are does the carbon cycle include

A

photosynthesis
respiration
decomposition
combusion
weathering

34
Q

Describe how carbon is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis

A

Carbon is passed on to primary consumers when they eat plants , passed onto secondary and tertiary consumers when they eat other consumers.

35
Q

What happens to carbon in decomposition ?
What is this also known as .

A

Saprobionic nutrition.
Living organisms die and carbon compounds deigested by microorganisms by decomposers. Feed of dead organic matter

36
Q

Carbon recycle in respiration

A

carbon and water returned to aire from all organisms , produce oxygen

37
Q

How are fossil fuels formed

A

Dead organic matter end up places where there are no decomposers .Carbon compound turns into ff over million years.

38
Q

How is carbon released in fossil fuels

A

when burnt , combustion

39
Q
  • other types of rock can be formed from dead organic matter deposited on the sea floor
A

lime + chalk composed of calcium carbonate.

40
Q

Carbon turned into rocks such as Limestone

What does chemical weathering causes

A

Mineral ions and bicarbonate ions released from rock into solution and enter ground water , transported into river and oceans. Form carbon containing compounds

41
Q

How is carbon reabsorbed from oceans

A

co2 dissolve directly into oceans and transported by deep underwater currents. released back into atmosphere

42
Q

Why do plants and animals need nitrogen

A

Make proteins and nucleic acids

43
Q

what is the nitrogen cycle

A

How nitrogen is converted into a useable form and passed between living and non-living environment

44
Q

Why is bacteria needed in the nitrogen cycle

A

cinvert atmosphere nitrogen into nitrogen compounds to be used

45
Q

What is the 4 different processes in the nitrogen cycles that involve bacteria

A

nitrogen fixation
ammonification
nitrification
detrification

46
Q

How does the nitrogen fixation recycle nitrogen

A

gas into ammonia by bacteria.

Ammonia used by plants.
Form mutualistic relationships - privide plant with nitrogen compounds and provide carbohydrates

47
Q

How does ammonification recycle nitrogen

A

Nitrogen compounds from dead organisms turn into ammonia by decomposers

Form into ammonium ions

Urine and faeces turn into ammonia by decomposers

48
Q

How does nitrification recycle nitrogen

A

ammonium ions in soil into nitrogen compounds used by plants

Nitrifying bacrer change ammonium ions into nitrites.
Nitrobacter change nitrites into nitrate

49
Q

How does denitrification recycle nitrogen

A

nitrates in soil conver into nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria.
carry out respiration and n gas.
Under anaerobic conditions

50
Q

what are the other ways nitrogen is returned into ecosystem

A

lightning (atmospheric nitrogen )

Artificial fertilisers

Biology M6 (7 decks)

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