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Biology > 6.3 Ecosystems > Flashcards

6.3 Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the definition of ecology?

A

Study of relationships between organisms and the environment

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2
Q

What is the definition of an Ecosystem?

A

All the living and physical factors of an area

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3
Q

What is the definition of a community?

A

all the living things in an area/habitat

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4
Q

What is the definition of habitat?

A

Place where an organism lives

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5
Q

What is a niche?

A

The role of an organism in the ecosystem

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6
Q

What is a tropic level?

A

A stage of a food chain

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7
Q

What is the definition of Biomass?

A

The mass of dry living material in an organism

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8
Q

How do you calculate biomass?

A

No. Of organisms x biomass of each organism

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9
Q

How is biomass measured?

A

Organisms are killed and dried out
Only small samples taken to minimise destruction
Therefore value may be unrepresentative

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10
Q

Why is biomass/energy always lower than the previous trophic level?

A
  • Not all organism is eaten
  • Not all light energy is used: reflected,wrong wavelength,doesn’t hit chloroplasts
  • Some energy used in photosynthesis
  • Limiting factors of photosynthesis
  • Waste
  • Maintaining body temperature
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11
Q

What is the definition of ecology efficiency?

A

Efficiency with which biomass/energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next

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12
Q

What is the formula for ecological efficiency?

A

Biomass after transfer/biomass before transfer x 100

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13
Q

How can primary production be improved?

A
  • Fungicides
  • Crop rotation
  • Herbicides
  • Plant crops early
  • Temperature control
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14
Q

How can secondary productivity (consumers) be improved?

A
  • Harvest animals prior to adulthood
  • Steroids to accelerate growth
  • Selective breeding
  • Treatment with antibiotics
  • Intensive farming
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15
Q

What is the definition of succession?

A

Process by which ecosystems change over time

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16
Q

What is the definition of primary succession?

A

Newly formed land
No soil/organic matter present

17
Q

What is the secondary succession?

A
  • Soil present but no animal/plant species
18
Q

What is a pioneer community?

A
  • Community which colonise bare land
19
Q

What are the features of pioneer communities?

A
  • Produce large numbers of seeds/spores
  • Seeds that germinate rapidly
  • Photosynthesis
  • Tolerate extreme environments
  • Nitrogen fixing
20
Q

What is an intermediate community?

A
  • Pioneer species die/decay
  • Organic matter released into soil
  • Humus added
  • New species arrive
  • Biodiversity peaks at this stage
21
Q

What is a climax community?

A
  • Final,stable community
  • Very little change over time
22
Q

What is the definition of phagioclimax?

A

Deflected succession where the final climax is not reached
Always due to human activity

23
Q

What is the definition of decomposition?

A

Chemical process where compounds are broken down into smaller molecules

24
Q

What is the definition of a limiting factor?

A

-Environmental resources which limit population growth

25
Q

What is the definition of carrying capacity?

A

Maximum population size that an environment can support

26
Q

What is the definition of movement of individuals into an area?

A

Immigration

27
Q

What is the word for individuals moving away from an area?

A

Emigration

28
Q

What is the definition of intraspecific competition?

A
  • Individuals of same species: Best adapted survive and reproduce and less adapted die
29
Q

What is the definition of interspecific competition?

A

Individuals of different species with an overlap of niches - competitive exclusion which then equals extinction

30
Q

What is the definition of conservation?

A

Maintenance of biodiversity through human action

31
Q

What is the definition of preservation?

A

Protection of an area by restricting or banning humans

Biology (26 decks)

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