agricultural ecosystems Flashcards
1
Q
how is efficiency of ecosystems increased ?
A
- keeping food chains as short as possible
- animals are kept in heating pens
- animals are given antibiotics to prevent infections - profilaxis
- animals are fed high quality protein rich food
2
Q
why do we try to keep food chains as short as possible ?
A
- to minimise respiratory losses
3
Q
why are animals kept in heating pens ?
A
- to minimise respiratory losses
- because they cant move as much so dont respire as much
- don’t have to generate as much body heat to keep warm
4
Q
why is giving animals profilaxis a problem ?
A
- because it is leading to the rise of antibiotic resistance bacteria
5
Q
why are animals fed high quality protein rich food ?
A
- it reduces energy lost in feaces and urine as there are less undigestible material
6
Q
what does increasing photosynthesis lead to ?
A
- increasing photosynthesis increases efficiency
7
Q
what does it mean if the interactions in a food web are complicated ?
A
- it means that the more food chains are in a food web
- so the greater the stability
- therefore the ecosystem can withstand changes
