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biology gcse > 4- ecology and the environment > Flashcards

4- ecology and the environment Flashcards

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1
Q

population

A

a group of organisms of the same species living in the same place at the same time

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2
Q

community

A

all of the populations living in the same area at the same time

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3
Q

habitat

A

where an organism lives

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4
Q

ecosystem

A

all the biotic factors and all the abiotic factors that interact within an area at one time

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5
Q

quadrats

A

Quadrats are square frames made of wood or wire
They can be a variety of sizes eg. 0.25m2 or 1m2
They are placed on the ground and the organisms within them are recorded
Plants species are commonly studied using quadrats to estimate the abundance

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6
Q

quadrats can be used to measure abundance by recording

A

The number of an individual species: the total number of individuals of a single species (eg. buttercups) is recorded
Species richness: the total number of different species (but not the number of individuals of each species) is recorded
Percentage cover: the approximate percentage of the quadrat area in which an individual species is found is recorded (this method is used when it is difficult to count individuals of the plant species being recorded eg. grass or moss

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7
Q

apparatus needed to investigate population size in 2 different areas using quadrats

A

2 tape measures
Quadrat
Random number generator
Species key

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8
Q

method to investigate population in size in 2 different areas using quadrats

A

1) take a tape measure to lay out in a survey area in the chosen habitat
2) use a random number generator and create a list of coordinates to place your first quadrant
3) count the number of your chosen plant species that are found within this quadrat
4) estimate the population of dandelions in your survey areas using this equation: (total area/ area sampled) x total number of plants counted

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9
Q

results of investigating population in size in 2 different areas using quadrats

A

Once the results have been collected and the averages calculated, we can compare the abundance of the study species in each survey area
Species abundance is likely to be influenced by biotic factors such as:
Competition
Predator-prey relationships
Interactions with other organisms within the food chain or food web
The abundance will also be influenced by abiotic factors such as:
Light intensity
Mineral availability
Water availability
pH
Temperature
Salinity

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10
Q

limitations to investigating population in size in 2 different areas using quadrats

A

It can be easy to miss individual organisms when counting in a quadrat, especially if they are covered by a different species
Solution: Use a pencil or stick to carefully move leaves out of the way to check if there is anything else underneath
Identifying species may be tricky
Solution: Use a species key to identify the species

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11
Q

corms to investigate population in size in 2 different areas using quadrats

A

C - We are changing the study area where we are collecting the data
O - We will count the same species of organism in each quadrat
R - We will repeat the investigation several times to ensure reliability
M - We will count the number of the designated study species found across all quadrats
S - We will control the size of the quadrat, the random way that quadrats are placed on the ground, the day that the results were collected

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12
Q

abiotic

A

non living

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13
Q

biotic

A

living

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14
Q

an abiotic factor is

A

a non living factor within an environment such as temperature, light intensity and wind speed

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15
Q

light intensity affect on community

A

LIGHT IS NEEDED BY PLANTS FOR
PHOTOSYNTHESIS. MORE LIGHT LEADS TO
AN INCREASE IN RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
AND AN INCREASE IN PLANT GROWTH RATE

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16
Q

temperature affect on community

A

AFFECTS THE RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

IN PLANTS

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17
Q

moisture levels affect own community

A

PLANTS AND ANIMALS REQUIRE WATER

TO SURVIVE

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18
Q

soil pH and mineral content affect on community

A

DIFFERENT SPECIES OF PLANTS ARE
ADAPTED TO DIFFERENT SOIL pH LEVELS
AND NUTRIENT CONCENTRATION LEVELS

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19
Q

wind intensity and direction affect on community

A 
WIND SPEED AFFECTS TRANSPIRATION
RATE IN PLANTS. TRANSPIRATION AFFECTS
THE RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AS IT
ENSURES WATER AND MINERAL IONS ARE
TRANSPORTED TO THE LEAVES
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20
Q

carbon dioxide levels for plants affect on community

A

CO, IS REQUIRED FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN
PLANTS. CO CONCENTRATION AFFECTS
THE RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

21
Q

oxygen levels for aquatic animals affect on community

A

SOME AQUATIC ANIMALS (SUCH AS FISH)
CAN ONLY SURVIVE IN WATER WITH HIGH
OXYGEN CONCENTRATIONS

22
Q

availability of food affect on community

A 
MORE FOOD MEANS
ORGANISMS HAVE A
HIGHER CHANCE OF
SURVIVING AND
REPRODUCING. THIS
MEANS THEIR
POPULATIONS CAN
INCREASE
23
Q

new predators affect on community

A 
IN BALANCED
ECOSYSTEMS,
PREDATORS CATCH
ENOUGH PREY TO
SURVIVE BUT NOT SO
MANY THAT THEY WIPE
OUT THE PREY
POPULATION. IF A NEW
PREDATOR ISI
NTRODUCED TO THE
ECOSYSTEM. IT MAY
BECOME UNBALANCED
24
Q

new pathogens affect on community

A

if a new pathogen enters an ecosystem the populations living there will have no immunity or resistance to it and the population may decline or be wiped out

25
Q

competition affect on community

A 
IF TWO SPECIES
COMPETE FOR THE SAME
RESOURCE(S) AND ONE
IS BETTER ADAPTED
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THESE RESOURCES,
THEN THAT SPECIES
WILL OUTCOMPETE THE
OTHER. THIS MAY
CONTINUE UNTIL THERE
ARE TOO FEW MEMBERS
OF THE LESSER
ADAPTED SPECIES TO
BREED SUCCESSFULLY
26
Q

trophic levels are used to

A

describe the feeding relationships between organisms

27
Q

producers

A

produce their own organic nutrients usually using energy from sunlight

28
Q

primary consumers

A

herbivores- feed on producers

29
Q

secondary consumers

A

predators that feed on primary consumers

30
Q

tertiary consumers

A

predators that feed on secondary consumers

31
Q

food chain-

A

Producer: food chains always begin with a producer
Primary consumer: producers are eaten by primary consumers (herbivores/omnivores)
Secondary consumer: primary consumers are eaten by secondary consumers (carnivores/omnivores)
Tertiary consumer: secondary consumers are eaten by tertiary consumers (carnivores/omnivores)

32
Q

a food chain shows

A

the transfer of energy from one organism to the next

33
Q

the source of all energy in a food chain is

A

light energy from the sun

34
Q

the arrows on a food chain show

A

the transfer of energy from one trophic level of the food chain to the next

35
Q

in order for energy to be passed on it has to be

A

consumed

36
Q

a food web is

A

a network of interconnected food chains

37
Q

food webs show

A

interdependance- how the change in one population can affect others within the food web

38
Q

a food pyramid of numbers shows

A

how many organisms we are talking about at each level of a food chain

39
Q

the width of a food pyramid indicates

A

the number of organisms at that trophic level

40
Q

a pyramid of biomass shows

A

how much mass the creatures at each level would have without including all the water that is in the organism

41
Q

how much energy of each trophic level is actually transferred

A

10%

42
Q

losses of energy are due to

A

Organisms rarely eat every part of the organism they are consuming – some of the biological material of plants and animals may be inedible (eg. many predators do not consume the bones of their prey)
Not all the ingested material is digested and absorbed, some is egested as faeces
Energy is used for movement
Energy is used to generate heat
Energy is used for metabolic processes
Some absorbed material is lost as waste:
Carbon dioxide and water are waste products of respiration
Water and urea are the waste products in the urine, which is produced when proteins are broken down

43
Q

describe the carbon cycle

A

Carbon is taken out of the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide by plants to be used for photosynthesis
It is passed on to animals (and microorganisms) by feeding
It is returned to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide by plants, animals and microorganisms as a result of respiration
If animals and plants die in conditions where decomposing microorganisms are not present the carbon in their bodies can be converted, over millions of years and significant pressure, into fossil fuels
When fossil fuels are burned (the process is known as combustion), the carbon combines with oxygen and carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere
Increased use of fossil fuels is contributing to an increase in the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere
In addition, mass deforestation is reducing the amount of producers available to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere by photosynthesis
This problem is exacerbated by the fact that in many areas of the world, deforestation is taking place for land rather than for the trees themselves, and as such they are burnt down, releasing yet more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

44
Q

biological consequences of sulphur dioxides and nitrogen oxides

A 
Combustion of
fossil fuels that
contain sulphur
impurities creates
sulphur dioxide.
Nitrogen oxides are also
produced during fossil
fuel combustion. These
gases react with oxygen
and dissolve in
rainwater to produce
dilute sulphuric acid and
nitric acid, which leads
to acid rain.
45
Q

greenhouse gases

A 
Water vapour
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxides
CFCs
46
Q

human activities that contribute to increasing levels of carbon dioxide and methane

A

Carbon dioxide is produced during the combustion of fossil fuel
Methane is produced by cattle as they digest grass and released by rice paddy fields

47
Q

the greenhouse affect

A

The Sun emits rays that enter the Earth’s atmosphere
The heat bounces back from the Earth’s surface
Some heat is reflected back out into space
Some heat is absorbed by greenhouse gases and is trapped within the Earth’s atmosphere – this is normal
However, as the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rise due to human activities the Earth’s average temperature rises beyond normal (an enhanced greenhouse effect), causing global warming

48
Q

consequences of global warming

A

Ocean temperatures increasing, causing melting of polar ice caps / rising sea levels / flooding / coral bleaching
Increasing temperatures causing extreme weather like super storms, flooding, droughts
Changes in or loss of habitats due to these extreme weather events
Decreases in biodiversity as food chains are disrupted and extinction rates increase
Increases in migration of species to new places, including increased spread of pests and disease

biology gcse (13 decks)

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