4.1 The organisms in the environment Flashcards
what is ecology?
the study of ecosystems
what is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is an easily described system or area where organisms interact with their physical environment.
what is a population?
the total number of individuals of one species in a particular habitat at a particular time
what is a community?
populations of all the species present in an ecosystem at a particular time.
what is a habitat?
the places where specific organisms live
What are consumers?
organisms whish eat other living things (e.g. animals)
what are producers?
organisms which make their own food (e.g. photosynthesising plants)
what does abiotic mean?
Non-living factors which affect growth and survival of living things. e.g. temperature, carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations, minerals in the soil
Method: population size of a species in an area - 5 marker
- tape measure placed at right angles to
form a grid - random number generator
- co-ordinates e.g. 2,11
- place quadrat ( known area)
- count the number of species in the
quadrat - repeat x10 –> calculate the mean
- scale up to the size of field/area
Method: Comparing biodiversity differences between field A and B
Field A
- tape measure placed at right angles to
form a grid
- random number generator
- co-ordinates e.g. 2,11
- place quadrat ( known area)
- count the number of species in the
quadrat
- repeat x10 –> calculate the mean
Calculate biodiversity using equation
Then repeat for Field B and compare
What is biodiversity?
variety of living organisms in an ecosystem
it takes into account the number of different species and the population of each
biotic factors
living components of an ecosystem
e.g. food availability, pathogens, predation and competition
