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Biology Module 6 > 6.5 Ecosystems > Flashcards

6.5 Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

Ecosystem

A

a community of animals, plants and bacteria interrelated with the physical and chemical environment/ group of living and non living things and their interrelationships

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2
Q

Components of ecosystem

A

Habitat, population, community, niche

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3
Q

Habitat

A

Where an organism lives

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4
Q

Population

A

all of the organisms of one species who live in the same place at the same time and can breed together

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5
Q

Community

A

all the population of different species who live in the same place at the same time and can interact with each other

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6
Q

Niche

A

role of a specie/organism in an ecosystem = so specific that more than 2 species niche can’t overlap = one would outcompete the other if they came close to occupying the same niche

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7
Q

2 important factors in an ecosystem

A

Abiotic and biotic

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8
Q

Biotic is the…

A

Living factors

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9
Q

Biotic factors

A
  • Competition
  • Diseases
  • Predation
  • Consumers
  • Decomposers
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10
Q

Abiotic is the…

A

Non living factors

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11
Q

Abiotic factors

A
  • pH
  • Temperature
  • Humidity
  • Weather
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12
Q

What should biotic and abiotic factors be like

A

Survival happens when there’s a good mixture of biotic and abiotic factors

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13
Q

What word would you use to describe ecosystems and why

A

Dynamic = constantly changing

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14
Q

2 main types of changes in ecosystems

A

Cyclic changes and unpredictable changes

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15
Q

Cyclic changes

A

change that repeats itself e.g. seasons and predator prey relationship = organisms can adapt to these changes e.g. hibernating in winter

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16
Q

Unpredictable changes

A

E.g. natural disasters

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17
Q

Biomass

A

Talking about energy

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18
Q

What is biomass transferred between

A

Trophic levels (energy levels)

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19
Q

Energy transfer diagram

A
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20
Q

Trophic levels

A

Producer
Primary consumer
Secondary consumer
Tertiary consumer

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21
Q

Producer

A

organism that can photosynthesise and produce organic molecules from water, co2, sunlight

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22
Q

Primary consumer

A

Consumes producer

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23
Q

Secondary consumer

A

Consumes primary consumer

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24
Q

Tertiary consumer

A

Usually ends w this because there’s no energy to transfer beyond this

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25
Q

What happens to heat energy through the ecosystem

A

released (lost as you go through energy levels through processes like respiration

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26
Q

Energy lost through the ecosystem through:

A
  • heat energy
  • Dead organisms and waste materials = further decomposed by bacteria and fungi which also release heat
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27
Q

Pyramid of numbers

A

The higher you go up the pyramid, the lower the number of organisms due to the energy loss

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28
Q

Why do we not rlly use pyramid of numbers

A

isn’t true reflection of the biomass, so pyramid of biomass is created (each bar is proportionate to the dry mass of the organism at each trophic level)

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29
Q

Which is better to look at: dry mass or wet mass and why

A

Dry mass is better than wet mass because it’s a true reflection of the organisms biomass as the wet mass can vary and be a reflection of water intake rather than biomass

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30
Q

Ecological efficiency equation

A
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31
Q

How to increase efficiency

A

By manipulating the transfer of biomass because productivity = rate of production of new biomass by producers

32
Q

Two types of productivity

A

Gross primary productivity, net primary productivity

33
Q

Gross primary productivity

A

rate at which plants convert light energy to chemical energy - rate of photosynthesis

34
Q

Net primary productivity

A

how much of the chemical energy is transferred in the biomass - proportion of energy from the sun that has entered the food chain

35
Q

How do you increase primary productivity

A

By manipulating the system to increase transfer

36
Q

Ways to manipulate the system to increase transfer

A
  • adjust the limiting factors from a reaction:
  • Light levels (if limiting rate of photosynthesis - plant the crops early to allow a longer growing season or use light banks where the light are turned on 24/7)
  • Water levels (have drought resistant strains)
  • Temperature (grow the plants in greenhouses or plant crops early to allow a longer growing season = can miss winter/certain weather periods)
  • Nutrients (crop rotation = soil would keep on being fertile)
  • Pests (use pesticides or pest resistant breeds)
  • Fungal diseases (use fungicides)
  • Competition from weeds for light and nutrients (use herbicides)
37
Q

Hiw to increase secondary productivity

A

for primary consumers to consume as much of the plants as possible

Manipulate system to increase transfer

38
Q

Why is transfer not good in the first place

A
  • Some plants die
  • Some parts of the plants can’t be digested so Egestion through their faeces occurs
  • Even when food is consumed, lots is respired and only a little amount is left for the transfer
39
Q

How to manipulate the system to increase transfer (increase secondary productivity)

A
  • harvest the animal before adulthood because lots of energy is used to grow into adults, so harvest right before that to reduce energy loss
  • Use selective breeding to produce improved growth rate e.g. egg production and growth production
  • Antibiotics to animals to avoid loss of energy to pathogens
  • Use zero grazing policy = put animals in containers = more energy allocated to growth and muscle rather than finding food
  • Transfer energy from producers to consumers is inefficient, therefore grains can be used to feed humans directly and there’s locations in the world where grains can’t be grown, but animals can survive
40
Q

Issue w some factors used to increase transfer

A

Some of these factors aren’t ethical, so there must be a balance between the welfare of the animals and efficient food production.

41
Q

Steps of the nitrogen cycle

A

Nitrification
Ammonification
Denitrification
Nitrogen fixation

42
Q

Nitrification

A
43
Q

Ammonification

A
44
Q

Denitrification

A
45
Q

Nitrogen fixation

A
46
Q

Nitrogen cycle diagram

A
47
Q

Saprotrophs

A

decomposing bacteria and fungi

48
Q

What do the bacteria produce

A

enzymes which digest molecules into smaller molecules which are then reabsorbed by the organism and can be stored and respired.

49
Q

How else can nitrogen fixation occur

A

by the haber process or lightning = only accounts for 10% of all nitrogen fixation

50
Q

What’s nitrogen needed for

A

Protein synthesis

51
Q

Azobacter

A

Free living in the soil

52
Q

Rhizobium

A

lives in root nodules of legumes plants e.g. peas, beans

53
Q

What’s rhizobium’s relationship w plants like

A

mutualistic relationship with the plant so the bacteria provides the plant with nitrogen and receives carbon in return

54
Q

How has rhizobium developed this relationship w plants

A
  • adapted this function because it contains a protein called leghaemoglobin = absorbs oxygen and keeps the conditions anaerobic = when the conditions are anaerobic, bacteria uses the enzyme nitrogen reductase to convert nitrogen into ammonium ions
55
Q

Ammonification done by nitrosomonas bacteria

A

Chemoautotrophic

56
Q

Nitrobacter

A

goes from nitrites to nitrates = nitrification = done through oxidation = needs to have aerobic conditions

57
Q

Decomposers

A

feed on dead organic matters and turn them into inorganic matter. Saprophytic (feed on dead organic matter). Secrete enzymes out of their body to digest food = external digestion. Absorb digested food into their body by diffusion

58
Q

Detritivores

A

feed on dead organic matters and turn them into inorganic matter. Internal digestion. Eat food and increase surface area of food they’re digesting to speed up the process of decomposition

59
Q

Carbon cycle diagram

A
60
Q

Succession

A

progressive change in a community overtime

61
Q

What do you need for succession to begin

A

need pioneer species to reach the land

62
Q

Examples of pioneer species

A

Algae and lichens

63
Q

Why can pioneer species survive in these conditions

A

adapted to work in poor conditions and tolerate extreme conditions e.g. salty water, lack of fresh water

64
Q

What do pioneer species do

A

start producing dead organic materials + other processes occur e.g. erosion of rocks, end up producing soil which allows larger plants e.g. mosses to grow = replace the pioneer species

Larger plants are replaced by smaller plants

65
Q

What does succession end in

A

A climax community

66
Q

Overview of succession

A
  1. Pioneer species colonise area
  2. Natural events e.g. rock erosion or wind blowing which creates more fertile soil + accumulation of nutrients = replaces pioneer species with new sets of species = add nutrients + those species are replaced as the nutrient levels build up
67
Q

Primary succession

A

initial progressive change that occurs in a community of organisms overtime = directional, gradual change

68
Q

Pioneer community

A

species that initially come in and colonise the area = adapted to live in harsher conditions

69
Q

Climax community

A

final, stable community that exists after succession has finished

70
Q

Deflected succession

A

succession is stopped/interfered w due to human interventions = results in a sub-climax community

71
Q

Deflected succession is caused by:

A
  • cutting grass
  • Cutting down trees
  • Building dams
  • Burning land
  • Use of fertilisers and herbicides
72
Q

Distribution

A

Presence or absence

73
Q

Abundance

A

Number of each specie

74
Q

Quadrats

A

same as module 4 = systematic or random sampling can be used = to know how many samples to take, make a cumulative frequency table, look at species distribution and take a sample = measure how many new species are being found through every quadrat. Eventually you’ll find that you aren’t finding new species when you lay the quadrat down, so you stop taking samples.

75
Q

Transects

A

good to look for gradients = line (just tape) and belt (use tape w quadrat) transects

76
Q

Best way to check for distribution across a distance

A

Kite diagram

Biology Module 6 (6 decks)

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