4.4.2 Ecology Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
All the living and non-living components in an environment
Give an example of a natural ecosystem.
Grassland, desert, forest, stream, tundra, pond, coral reef
What is a population?
Total number of one species in an ecosystem
What type of organism are producers?
Plants and algae
Explain why all food chains begin with a producer.
They make their own food using energy from the Sun
What does it mean if an organism is a tertiary consumer?
It eats secondary consumers
Construct the food chain:
Leaf -> caterpillar -> bird -> cat
Which word refers to an animal that kills and eats other animals?
Predator
Why are organisms in the same habitat in competition?
Because there are limited resources
Identify three resources dandelions may compete for.
Space, mineral ions, water, light
Identify three resources badgers may compete for.
Territory, food, water, mates
What is interspecific competition?
Competition between members of different species
Give an example of interspecific competition.
Zebra and wildebeest competing for grass. Lions and hyenas competing for prey on the African savannah
What is intraspecific competition?
Competition between members of the same species
What is interdependence?
How species within a community depend on each other
What is the term for a community where the population sizes remain constant?
Stable community
What is an abiotic factor?
A non-living factor in an ecosystem
What is a biotic factor?
A living factor in an ecosystem
Is the mineral content of soil a biotic or abiotic factor?
Abiotic
How would lack of light affect plants?
Reduce photosynthesis so less plants growing or plants grow smaller
How would lack of light affect animals?
Reduce photosynthesis so less plants growing or plants grow smaller so less food available for animals to eat
What is distribution?
Where organisms are found in a habitat
Name two factors that affect the distribution of an organism.
Light, water and nutrient availability.
How can the distribution & abundance of species in an ecosystem be determined?
Sampling
Why is it difficult to sample animals?
Because the are mobile
What is a quadrat?
A square frame of a known size used for sampling
Why must quadrats be placed randomly?
To improve the validity of the study
Described 2 ways that a transect can be used for sampling.
Count the number of organisms that touch the line, or place quadrat at intervals along the line
What is the mean number of organisms if the following are found in 6 quadrats – 1,5,15,20,42,37?
20
What is high biodiversity?
a wide range of different plant and animal species living in an ecosystem
Why is high biodiversity important?
allows a wide variation of food sources to help a species to survive, provide us with food and other products
What effect are humans having on biodiversity?
Reducing it
What are extremophiles?
Organisms that can survive in extreme conditions
How do human actions affect global warming?
Deforestation has increased CO2 in the atmosphere causing global temperatures to rise
How might global warming affect biodiversity?
Decrease it for species that are sensitive to temperature changes e.g. coral
What effect does deforestation have on biodiversity?
Reduces it as destroys habitats
Give an example of a human activity that is reducing biodiversity.
Waste production /deforestation/ global warming
Give an example of a long-lived environmental change.
destruction of peat bogs/ deforestation
Give an example of a short-lived environmental change.
freshwater pollution
Suggest what will happen if human populations keep rising.
More of the Earth’s resources will be used up, resulting in a decrease in the land available for other organisms.
Describe an impact of fertiliser run-off.
Algal growth increases, prevents light from reaching plants, which die. Bacteria respire and use up oxygen
What is the impact on the environment of using peat as a fuel?
Removal of carbon store.
Loss of peat bogs reduces biodiversity.
How might using peat-free compost reduce this impact?
Would prevent the destruction of peat bogs, and organisms that live there would survive.
Name one way by which the destruction of peat bogs can be reduced.
Use peat-free compost
How can people reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfill?
Recycle
How do breeding programmes help reduce the negative effects of humans on biodiversity?
Breed endangered species so they don’t become extinct
How are ecosystems and biodiversity protected?
Introducing breeding programmes /Protecting and regenerating rare habitats/ Introducing wider field margins / Reducing deforestation and CO2 emissions / recycling resources / cloning plant species
How do hedgerows increase biodiversity?
Provide habitats
Why are conservation programmes introduced?
To protect endangered species, to minimise damage to food chains, protect food supplies
How do breeding programmes help endangered species?
They save species from extinction and ensure genetic diversity is maintained.
Why is it important to protect biodiversity?
Protects species from environmental change and ensures sustainability for all life forms
Name a species apart from giant pandas that have been in a captive breeding programme.
Arabian oryx, California condor, golden lion tamarin, red wolf, amur leopard
What is a stable community?
The size of the population remains constant over time.
Give an example of an abiotic and biotic factor.
A – LI, temperature, CO2 levels, soil pH B – food, predators, diseases, competition
What type of organism is always found at the start of a food chain?
Producer
What is a quadrat?
A square grid of known area
What is deforestation?
The cutting down of trees
What is a monoculture?
One type of crop grown year after year
Name 3 things plants compete for.
Light, space, nutrients, water
What term matches this definition? Environmental factors which are non-living
Abiotic factors
What term matches this definition? How many organisms are found in an area
Abundance
What term matches this definition? The variety of species in an area
Biodiversity
What term matches this definition? Environmental factors which are living
Biotic factors
What term matches this definition? When multiple organisms are trying to obtain limited resources
Competition
What term matches this definition? Where organisms are found in an area
Distribution
What term matches this definition? The abiotic and biotic factors in an area
Ecosystem
What term matches this definition? When organisms eat or are eaten by other organisms
Feeding relationship
What term matches this definition? The place where an organism lives
Habitat
What term matches this definition? All organisms in an area depend on each other for survival
Interdependence
What term matches this definition? A living thing
Organism
What term matches this definition? A process by which plants use energy from the Sun to make glucose
Photosynthesis
What term matches this definition? Contaminating air, water or land with harmful substances
Pollution
What term matches this definition? The number of individuals of a species in an area
Population
What term matches this definition? Animal that hunts other animals for food
Predator
What term matches this definition? Animal that is hunted by other animals
Prey
What term matches this definition? The first consumer in a food chain
Primary consumer
What term matches this definition? An organism that makes its own food
Producer
What term matches this definition? A square frame used to sample organisms on the ground
Quadrat
What term matches this definition? Used to estimate distribution and abundance of organisms in an area
Sampling technique
What term matches this definition? The second consumer in a food chain
Secondary consumer
What term matches this definition? Similar individuals which can reproduce to produce fertile offspring
Species
What term matches this definition? The third consumer in a food chain
Tertiary consumer
What term matches this definition? A line across an area
Transect
What is a population?
group of individuals of one species living in a habitat
What are the top consumers in a food chain called?
top predators.
