A Local Ecosystem 1

Question 0

Compare viscosity in an aquatic and terrestrial environment.

Answer 0

Aquatic:

• more resistant
• quite viscous
• streamline forms used

Terrestrial:

• very little
• easy to move through
• skeletal forms

Question 1

List the comparable abiotic factors of an aquatic and terrestrial environment.

Answer 1

Viscosity - a medium's resistance to an object moving through it
Buoyancy - support
Temperature variation
Pressure
Availability of gases
Availability of water
Availability of ions
Light penetration
Natural forces

Question 2

Compare buoyancy in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Answer 2

Aquatic:

• a lot of support
• maintains shape
• most prominent in salt water

Terrestrial:

• very little
• skeletal forms used

Question 3

Compare temperature variation in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Answer 3

Aquatic:

• little variation; gradual change
• colder the deeper

Terrestrial:

• great variation; can change rapidly
• night and day vs global location
• higher the colder

Question 4

Compare pressure in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Answer 4

Aquatic:
- increases with water depth

Terrestrial:

• decreases with higher altitude
• minimal

Question 5

Compare the availability of gases in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Answer 5

Aquatic:

• dissolved in water
• depends on temperature

Terrestrial:
- abundant everywhere

Question 6

Compare the availability of water in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Answer 6

Aquatic:
- abundant everywhere

Terrestrial:

• needs to be sourced
• more limited towards more inland

Question 7

Compare the availability of ions in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Answer 7

Aquatic:

• decreases with depth
• abundant
• distributed by currents

Terrestrial:

• variation
• available in soil

Question 8

Compare light penetration in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Answer 8

Aquatic:
- decreases rapidly with depth

Terrestrial:
- abundant during the day

Question 9

Compare natural forces in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Answer 9

Aquatic:

• tides, currents and waves (marine)
• flow and strength of water (fresh)

Terrestrial:

• wind and rain
• monsoons, cyclones, floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes.

Question 10

Define: distribution of a species.

Answer 10

Where a species is locate in an area.

Question 11

Define: the abundance of a species.

Answer 11

How many individuals of a species are in an environment

Question 12

Identify factors that determine distribution and abundance of a species.

Answer 12

Abiotic factors in both environments - marine or fresh water for aquatic. Estuarine must deal with constant changes.

Biotic factors are resources such as food, shelter, mates, competition, predators and disease sources are also other factors.

In Australia, rainfall, temperature and landforms are prominent.

Question 13

Define: estuarine.

Answer 13

An aquatic environment that is exposed to both fresh and salt water.

Question 14

Describe the role of photosynthesis in ecosystems.

Answer 14

• starts food chains as it is the only process that harnesses the energy of sunlight and converts it into chemical energy for consumers.
• removes carbon dioxide from air and replaces it with oxygen.

Question 15

What is the equation for photosynthesis?

Answer 15

Carbon dioxide + water (through sunlight and chlorophyll) glucose + oxygen

6CO2 + 6H2O (through sunlight and chlorophyll) C6H12O6 + 6O2

Question 16

What is the role of respiration in ecosystems?

Answer 16

• through mitochondria, aerobic respiration releases energy for organisms to use. Glucose and oxygen are broken down to produce carbon dioxide, water and ATP.
• removes oxygen from the air and return carbon dioxide for energy.

Question 17

What is the word equation for respiration?

Answer 17

Glucose + oxygen (through) carbon dioxide + water + ATP

C6H12O6 + O2 (through) CO2 + H2O + (ATP)

Question 18

What is ATP?

Answer 18

Adenosine Triphosphate.

Question 19

What is energy used for in organisms?

Answer 19

• growth
• repair
• maintenance
• ability to move

Question 20

Describe aerobic respiration.

Answer 20

A chemical reaction with about fifty stages - each catalysed by an enzyme.

Complete breakdown of molecules, like sugars, using oxygen to form carbon dioxide, water and ATP (energy).

This is done by every living thing.

Question 21

Describe sampling techniques for distribution.

Answer 21

Transect

• a line is set out to measure the distance and position of a transect.
• vegetation types and slope gradients are recorded along the profile line.
• soil samples may also be recorded.

Question 22

Describe sampling techniques for abundance.

Answer 22

Quadrat

• a square frame is randomly dropped in a the study area.
• the number of target species found are recorded.
• the more drops, the higher the accuracy.
• the average number of species from the total drops is calculated then:

Average count/quadrat X study area/quadrat area

Capture-Mark-Recapture

• a sample group of the target species are captured and marked, then released back into their environment.
• after a period of time, the another sample group of the species being studied is captured.

1st capture X 2nd capture / no. marked in 2nd capture