🟢4 Ecology Flashcards

Question

How does energy flow in ecosysms

Answer 1

**Sun** is primary source of energy **Feeding** allows **energy to flow** from one organism to another in an ecosystem

Answer 2

Organisms that carry out **photosynthesis**

Answer 3

All the plants in an ecosystem

Answer 4

Organisms that **take in food** from another organism

Answer 5

All the animals in an ecosystem

Answer 6

Organisms that **feed** on **dead** organic matter

Answer 7

Organisms that **feed** on **small pieces** of **dead** organic matter

Answer 8

Plants take in sunlight produce energy->animal 1 consumes->animal2 consumes animal 1 etc.

Answer 9

Primary consumers feed on producers Herbivores-(animals that **eat plants**) Decomposers-(Organisms that **feed** on **dead** organic matter such as **bacteria**) Detrius Feeders-(Organisms that feed in **small** parts of **dead** plants and animals such as **mussels** and **earthworms**)

Answer 10

Animals that feed on primary consumers Carnivores (meat-eaters) Scavengers(feed on animals killed by someone else)

Answer 11

Feed on secondary consumers, they’re not always present If no other organism eats them, they’re called **top consumers** Gull Badger Blackbirds Humans

Answer 12

An organism that feeds on both plants and animals Humans Blackbirds Badgers

Answer 13

Sequence of organisms in which each one is eaten by the next member in the chain First organism in these chains must be a producer or green plant Dandelion->Butterfly->Thrush->Hawk

Answer 14

A feeding stage in a food chain Producers form 1st level Primary Consumers 2nd level Secondary Consumers 3rd level

Answer 15

(Producer) Grassland-Buttercup Seashore-Plankton

Answer 16

(Primary Consumer) Grassland-Caterpillar Seashore-Barnacle

Answer 17

(Secondary Consumer) Grassland-Blackbird Seashore-Whelk

Answer 18

(Tertiary-or top- Consumer) Grassland-Fox Seashore-Crab

Answer 19

Only about 10% of tje energy in each trophic level is passed onto the next one

Answer 20

Two or more interlinked food chains

Answer 21

Represents the no. of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain

Answer 22

High energy loss at each trophic level Organisms usually increase in size the further they are along the food chain

Answer 23

The functional role it plays in the community. It includes what **it eats**, what its **eaten by**, and how it **interacts** with organisms and abiotic environment

Answer 24

the way elements (eg **carbon/nitrogen**) are **exchanged** between the **living** and **non-living** components of an ecosystem

Answer 25

**Remove** carbon from environment by **photosynthesis** **Return** it by **respiration**

Answer 26

Obtain-by eating plants Release-by respiration

Answer 27

return it when they decompose dead plants an animals

Answer 28

Deforestation Increased use of fossil fuels

Answer 29

Sea levels rise-icemelting-floods Weather patterns alter-affects agriculture and wildlife Gulf stream may reverse flow-Cold water will flow past ireland

Answer 30

Conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia, ammonium or nitrate

Answer 31

Conversion of ammonia and ammonium compounds to nitrite and then nitr**ate**

Answer 32

Conversion of nitrates to nitrogen gas

Answer 33

Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria-convert **Nitrogen gas** to **nitrates** Bacteria of Decay-convert **nitrogen waste** to **ammonia** Nitrifying Bacteria-convert **ammonia** to **nitrites** then **nitrates** Denitrifying Bacteria-convert **nitrates** to **nitrogen gas**

Answer 34

Help to **decay** dead **plants** and **animals** and their wastes into **ammonia** in the **soil**

Answer 35

Absorb nitrates from soil and use nitrogen to form proteins

Answer 36

Consume plants and use their nitrogen to form animal protein

Answer 37

Any harmful addition to the environment

Answer 38

Harmful additions to the environment eg.littering, smoke, sewage disposal

Answer 39

Volcanic Emissions Smoke from Natural forest fires

Answer 40

Domestic-household wastes Agricultural-pesticides,fertilisers,disposal of slurry Industrial-smoke that causes acid rain, wastes that may damage streams, rivers and lales

Answer 41

Refrigerator (Freon gas) Insulating Foams (Styrofoam) Some: Fire extinguisher(halons) Agricultural sprays (fumigants)

Answer 42

Increased skin cancers, weakened immunity Serious damage to plants and crops life Plankton depletion-huge affect on aquatic food chains

Answer 43

Ozone absorbs ultraviolet rays Ozone layer thins out Hole develops allowing ultraviolet radiation to penetrate to the Earths surface

Answer 44

chlorofluorocarbons manufactured chemical pollutants that harm the ozone layer

Answer 45

Reduction of use of CFCs Replace CFCs with HFCs as they break down quicker Spray/foam products with CFCs dont use Fridges cant be dumped in landfill

Answer 46

Wise management of the existing natural resources in an ecosystem in order to maintain a wide range of habitats and prevent the death and extinction of organisms

Answer 47

**Prevents organisms** becoming **extinct** Maintains **balance of nature** Maintains **biodiversity** Organisms may be **useful in future** Were no right to wipe out their life forms

Answer 48

1.Pollution of rivers sea etc. reduces amount of fish in water. fish stocks may take years to regenerate 2.Overfishing reduced fish stocks. Fish quotas have been assigned to countries to ensure enough fish are left in the sea 3.Small mesh nets catch small young fish before they can reproduce

Answer 49

Taking and analysing water samples Checking fish catches and fishing equipment Sampling fish stocks to calculate their numbers

Answer 50

Fishing with small mesh nets removes too many young fish reducing their ability to maintain a viable population size Large mesh nets allow small fish to escape the nets so they can grow and reproduce. maintaining fish numbers

Answer 51

Slurry is liquefied waste material produced by animals. Contains high lvls of minerals eg.Nitrogen and Phosphorus When slurry enters rivers/lakes the minerals cause **algal growth**. This results in **algal blooms** When the algae die they decompose by bacteria this results in the absorption of oxygen and the water becomes depleted in oxygen. Aquatic plants and animals die when they cat get sufficcient oxygen. The addition of nutrients to water in this way is called **eutrophication**.

Answer 52

By controlling the release of nutrients into rivers and lakes the water qualitycan be improved. Slurry can be stored in **leak proof pits**. It is not washed away into streams and rivers

Answer 53

When fish are processed the waste materials consist of heads, tails, fins, intestines, dead fish and blood diluted by large amounts of water. The solid **wastes** are highly **alkaline** and are first **neutralised** by the addition of formic acid. The product is pulped, dried and **recycled** as fertiliser or pig feed.

Answer 54

Small branches-Spread on forest floor to form surface machinery can move on Branches,stumps and roots-Rot naturally and nutrients are released into the soil Tops of trees, large branches-Converted to sawdust which is used to form processed wood products

Answer 55

Waste may contain micro-organisms that cause diseases. If waste not properly treated, disease spread. Toxic chemixals can be washed out and enter drinking water supplies Nutrients released can cause eutrophication of water supplies that can kill animals Dumping waste at sea can pollute it Landfill sights are unsightly, attract rodents, smell bad Incinerators may release a poisonous

Answer 56

Waste is covered with soil here. Bacteria and fungi break down the organic materials

Answer 57

Primary Sewage Treatment-Physically screening or filtering waste to remove large objects Secondary Sewage Treatment-Waste is acted on by bacteria and fungi of decay. This **biological treatment** breaks down most of the matter. The rest is disposed of and cleaned water is treated with chlorine Tertiary Sewage Treatment-Sometimes used to remove mineral nutrients

Answer 58

Reduce Reuse Recycle

Answer 59

Individuals and societys can reduce their waste output by reducing their consumption of goods that they dont need Reduce amount of packaging used unnecessarily

Answer 60

Some objects can be reused Glass bottles can be reused up to 40 times, broken down, and then recycled Clothes in charity shops

Answer 61

Many modern materials can be collected,treated, and re-formed into new products. Recycling paper,glass,different metals, plastics, and organic waste Up to 40% household rubbish is organic matter. Can be broken down by organisms to form humus which can be added to soil to improve growth of plants