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IBDP Biologie > 4. Ecology > Flashcards

4. Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

Define species.

A

A species is a group of living organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

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2
Q

Can offspring of different karyograms produce offspring?

A

No, they are infertile due to carrying different chromosomes.

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3
Q

Define a population.

A

Population: a group of organisms of the same species that live in a particular area at the same time

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4
Q

Define a community.

A

Community: a group of populations living and interaction in a particular area

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5
Q

Define an ecosystem.

A

Ecosystem: a community and its abiotic environment

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6
Q

What does it mean by autotrophic?

A

Making their own complex organic molecules from carbon dioxide and other simple compounds (from abiotic environment)
Almost all plants and some other organisms, eg. cyanobacteria, dinoflagellata

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7
Q

What does it mean by heterotrophic?

A

Organisms that obtain their organic compounds through feeding on other organisms
All non-plant life organisms, eg. humans..

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8
Q

Give an example of an organism that feed both autotrophically and heterotrophically.

A

euglena gracilis

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9
Q

What are autotrophs and heterotrophs in a food chain or web?

A 
Producers = autotrophs 
Consumers = heterotrophs
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10
Q

Explain consumers in detail.

A

Get carbon compounds by ingesting or eating
Some consumers are small, eg. paramecium take in food by endocytosis

Primary consumers: eat autotrophs
Secondary consumers: eat primary consumers
Tertiary consumers: eat secondary consumers
Tertiary consumers don’t always feed on secondary consumers, they also eat primary consumers.

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11
Q

Explain how detritivores obtain organic nutrients. Give examples.

A

Detritivores are heterotrophs that obtain their organic nutrients from detritus by internal digestion
Eg. earthworms and dung beetles

Organism lives, dies, leaves organic material called detritus
Detritivores digest internally the organic material used as a source of energy

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12
Q

Explain how detritivores obtain organic nutrients. Give examples.

A

Saprotrophs are heterotrophs that obtain their organic nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion. Eg. fungi and bacteria

They secrete digestive enzymes onto the body they are feeding on to cause breakdown of complex organic compounds
The digested substances are absorbed and used by the saprotrophs

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13
Q

Define ecology.

A

The study of relationships between living organisms and their interactions with their environment

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14
Q

Give an example of a relationship between living organisms.

A

The relationship between spider crabs and algae, algae lives on crabs backs, the predators cant see the crabs and therefore is beneficial to both organisms

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15
Q

Explain the types of environments that life cannot exist in.

A

Life cannot exist in complex environments such as antarctica where the temperatures drop as low as -80 degrees celsius, and no light for up to 6 months of the year so no photosynthesis and thus no primary consumers.

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16
Q

What kind of inorganic nutrients does organisms need to survive?

A

They need carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen for nucleic acids, sulfur for proteins and 15 other elements
Selenium is needed for the functioning of some enzyme
Magnesium needed for bone formation

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17
Q

Outline how the supply of inorganic nutrients is maintained by nutrient cycling.

A
  1. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and water from the abiotic environment
  2. They produce carbohydrates by photosynthesis
  3. Plants are eaten by consumers
  4. Nutrients are transferred from one organism to the next till they are released as waste
  5. The supply of inorganic nutrients is maintained by nutrient cycling
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18
Q

What is a mesocosm?

A

A mesocosm is an experimental tool that allows the experimenter to control the conditions in a small part of the natural environment.

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19
Q

What advantages do mesocosms give?

A

Advantages:
Treatments and changes to the ecosystem can be easily replicated
Food webs can be established
Direct and indirect effects can be studied
Contamination influence can be evaluated
Effect of enviro factors can be studied

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20
Q

What does photosynthesis do?

A

Traps the energy from sun
Transforms CO2 and water into glucose and many carbon based compounds through electron transport pathways, ATP synthase and calvin cycle

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21
Q

What is the energy in carbon compounds used in?

A

cell division, movement of components in cells, nucleic acid synthesis and ion exchange across membranes.

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22
Q

Why is heat lost at each of the steps?

A

Because none of the oxidative steps are efficient.

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23
Q

How is ATP produced?

A

ATP is produced by oxidizing, or breaking down, glucose and other carbon compounds through the process of respiration

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24
Q

Define a food chain.

A

A food chain shows how each organism gets its food, how energy and nutrients are passed from producer to consumers.

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25
Q

Define a food web.

A

A food web shows the interconnections that exist among food chains.
Most organisms have more than one food source and may have more than one predator. This is shown more clearly by using a food web.

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26
Q

Describe how chemical energy in carbon compounds flows through food chains by means of feeding.

A

Energy is lost from one trophic level to the other
When something is eaten, it is not entirely consumed, the waste material becomes food to detritivores and saprotrophs. Energy transfer is 10-20%

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27
Q

What limits a food chain?

A

Less energy is available at each step

Bigger organism eats smaller organism

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28
Q

What is an energy pyramid?

A

An energy pyramid is a model used to represent the energy flow in a community.
Each block represents different groups of organisms that might constitute a food chain
The boxes are drawn to scale to represent the energy

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29
Q

How is energy lost?

A

Energy is lost as heat from respiration, incomplete digestion and egestion of waste products along the food chain.

30
Q

What happens from one trophic level to the other?

A

As the amount of energy decreases with each trophic level, the number of individuals decreases as well.

31
Q

What happens to carbon dioxide solubility as pressure increases?

A

Solubility increases as pressure increases

32
Q

Why do aquatic plants and other autotrophs living in water require in the form of dissolved carbon dioxide and hydrogen carbonate ions?

A

To produce more complex carbon compounds

33
Q

What lowers the concentration of carbon dioxide in the plant, setting up a concentration gradient that helps the carbon dioxide diffuse into the autotrophs?

A

In aquatic plants, dissolved carbon dioxide diffuses into the leaves from the environment. In both cases, in water and on land, the carbon dioxide is used in the Calvin cycle to make carbohydrates and more complex carbon compounds.

34
Q

Explain how carbon dioxide is produced by respiration and diffuses out of organisms into water or the atmosphere.

A

During the day, carbon dioxide from respiration can be used directly by the chloroplasts for photosynthesis. In this case, carbon dioxide is not released from the leaves, as photosynthesis mainly occurs here. Carbon dioxide produced during respiration is a waste product of metabolism and diffuses out of the plant into the atmosphere or water.

35
Q

How is methane produced?

A

Organic matter changed to organic acids and alcohol by bacteria in process called acidogenesis
Other bacteria convert these acids and alcohol into carbon dioxide and hydrogen and acetate (acetogenesis)
Methanogenic archaea can produce methane through the reaction of carbon dioxide and hydrogen or the breakdown of acetate.

36
Q

Where is methane produced from?

A

Produced from organic matter under anaerobic conditions by methanogenic archaeans.
Methanogenic archaea are found in swamps, lake beds, guts, termites and landfill sites

37
Q

What does the reaction of methane with hydroxyl radial produce?

A

It produces CO2 and water.

38
Q

Where is methane oxideised in?

A

In the upper layers of the atmosphere.

39
Q

When does peat form?

A

Peat forms when organic matter is not fully decomposed because of acidic or anaerobic conditions in waterlogged soils

40
Q

How is peat formed?

A

Peat formation:
Saprotrophs must digest dead matter aerobically
But in waterlogged areas, the stagnant water creates an anaerobic environment in which the saprotrophs cannot grow
The saprotrophs die and the organic matter is only partially digested
New layers of dead matter fall and further compresses it
This forms peat

41
Q

List 4 uses of peat.

A
  • Substitute for firewood for cooking
  • To increase the moisture holding capacity of soil in horticulture
  • To increase the water infiltration rate of soils
  • To acidify soils for specific pot plants
42
Q

What substances are decomposed organic matter converted into?

A

Fuel- fossil fuels formed a long time ago
Coal- found in thick layers beneath the surface
Oil and gas- found in porous rocks, not in gas forms
Gas reservoirs- found deep in the earth under high-pressure conditions that will maintain the gas in liquid form

43
Q

Where is calcium carbonate found in on animals?

A

Shells of molluscs
Exoskeleton of hard corals
When these animals die, their carbons become part of the sedimentary rock
They become fossilised in limestone

44
Q

Why does calcium carbonate remain underwater?

A

Calcium carbonate dissolves in acid, but not in alkaline solutions.
The ocean is alkaline, thus the calcium carbonate won’t dissolve and will remain.

45
Q

Which gases act as an insulating layer for earth?

A

CO2 and water vapor

46
Q

How is carbon dioxide formed?

A

Released by heterotrophs and autotrophs when they respire

Recycled through photosynthesis and dissolving in oceans and lakes

47
Q

How is water vapor formed?

A

Formed through the evaporation of water from bodies of water
Recycled through natural precipitation from hail, snow to water

48
Q

Why are CO2 and water vapor the most significant greenhouse gases?

A

Both carbon dioxide and water vapour absorb longwave or infrared radiation and are considered the main greenhouse gases.

49
Q

What makes a gas impact the earth?

A

The ability to absorb longer wavelength radiation.

50
Q

What is methane and how is it formed?

A

A gas found in the atmosphere that is produced from methanogenic ruminant bacteria and saprotrophic bacteria

51
Q

What is nitrous oxides and how is it formed?

A

A greenhouse gas that is formed both naturally and by humans, mainly through farming, industry and combustion of fossil fuels.

52
Q

What releases methane?

A

Occurs naturally, from melting ice and tundra in arctic
It escapes from landfills and marshes
Produced by cattle
Emitted during the extraction of fossil fuels

53
Q

What releases nitrous oxide?

A

Emitted by car engines and produced by certain bacteria

Small quantities by lightning

54
Q

What causes retention of heat in the atmosphere?

A

Longwave radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface is first absorbed by greenhouse gases and then re-emitted

55
Q

What is solar radiation?

A

It occurs when visible light passes through the atmosphere. Once it passes through ozone layer, only short-wavelength radiation reaches the earth’s surface, some is reflected but most passed through the greenhouse gases to the earth’s surface.

56
Q

What is reemitted from absorbed shortwave radiation?

A

Infrared heat, long wave radiation

57
Q

What happens when this long wave radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases?

A

The greenhouse gases re-emit the absorbed light in all directions as heat. Some of this radiation is re-emitted towards the Earth, thus contributing to global warming.

58
Q

Define radiation.

A

Energy that may be a subatomic particle, for example an electron (gamma rays) or in the form of an electromagnetic wave, for example ultraviolet radiation.

59
Q

Define solar radiation.

A

Energy from the sun that comes in the form of electromagnetic waves. This includes many types of waves such as visible light or ultraviolet light.

60
Q

Define ozone layer.

A

A layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun. It is not considered a greenhouse gas because it does not absorb longwave radiation.

61
Q

Define UV radiation.

A

ultraviolet radiation is a type of shortwave radiation coming from the sun, but is filtered out by the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

62
Q

Define long-wave radiation.

A

A type of radiation that is emitted from the Earth and its atmosphere. Examples include, microwaves and radio waves.

63
Q

Define short-wave radiation.

A

This type of radiation comes from the sun in the form of visible light and ultraviolet light. It is absorbed by the Earth and re-emitted as long-wavelength radiation.

64
Q

List the main 5 sources of fossil fuel combustion.

A 
In vehicles 
Homes heated 
Production of electricity 
Factories powered by fossil fuels 
Burning of forests for clearing out
65
Q

How does the increase in global temperatures impact climate change?

A

Higher global averages = more water evaporated = heavier rainfall = rising seawater = stronger hurricanes and typhoons

66
Q

How does the increase in global temperatures impact rising seawater?

A

Melting effect the polar ice caps and glaciers

67
Q

How does the increase in global temperatures impact habitats?

A

Melting polar ice caps, decrease ice habitats

Destroying coastal habitats

68
Q

How does the increase in global temperatures impact biotic factors?

A

Warming of a habitat changes the species that live in the area and can cause changes to migratory patterns
Temperate species move into warmer arctic and compete with the arctic species
Arctic species need to adapt to competition and the change in temperature or emigrate to a new habitat. This would cause a change in the distribution of species, possibly a decrease in population sizes and, in extreme cases, extinction of species

69
Q

Define ocean acidification.

A

The drop in pH of the ocean due to the absorption of carbon dioxide, which forms carbonic acid. The H+ ions become dissociated from carbonic acid causing the water to become acidic.

70
Q

Explain how coral reefs are threatened by increasing concentrations of dissolved carbon dioxide.

A

Corals are very resistant to many of the threats. But their ability to regrow grow stable structures is affected by ocean acidification.

Since increasing concentration of dissolved CO2 leads to ocean acidification, like to have a negative impact on the ability to develop and on their ability to recover from damage. Their habitats will be replaced by non-calcifying organisms such as seagrass, resulting in underwater grasslands.

71
Q

How does changes in temperature impact marine organisms?

A

Marine organisms, including corals, are very sensitive to temperature changes in their environment. They will need to adapt to these changes or they will become extinct, decreasing the biodiversity of the oceans

IBDP Biologie (15 decks)

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