b16 organising an ecosystem Flashcards
what are photosynthetic organisms ?
the producers of biomass for life on earth
what does photosynthetic mean?
organism can produce glucose by photosynthesis
what can food chains represent?
feeding relationships within a community
what do all food chains begin with and what does this do?
all food chains begin with a producer which synthesises molecules
what are producers usually?
a green plant or algae which makes glucose by photosynthesis
what is used by ecologists to determine the distribution and abundance of species in an ecosystem?
a range of experimental methods using transects and quadrats
why do ecologists use a range of experimental methods using transects and quadrats ?
to determine the distribution and abundance of species in an ecosystem
briefly explain food chain
(producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers)
producers are eaten by primary consumers , which in turn may be eaten by secondary consumers and then tertiary consumers
what are predators?
consumers that kill and eat other animals and those eaten are prey
what happens in a stable community?
the numbers of predators and prey rise and fall in cycles
why are all materials in the living world recycled?
to provide the building blocks for future organisms
what does the carbon cycle do?
the carbon cycle returns carbon from organisms to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide to be used by plants in photosynthesis
how does the carbon cycle start?
the carbon cycle starts with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
what is the only way that carbon can enter the carbon cycle?
by photosynthesis
how does carbon dioxide return back to the atmosphere?
by aerobic respiration
every single living organism carries out?
respiration
how do plants and algae take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
in photosynthesis
whys is carbon used?
to make carbohydrates,fats and proteins which make up the cells of plants and algae
eventually, all animals and plants die. What happens?
carbon in waste products and dead remains
waste products and dead remains are then broken down by?
decomposing microorganisms for example bacteria and fungi
what happens when decomposers carry our respiration?
the carbon in the waste and dead remains is returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide
Why are decomposers(microorganisms) extremely important?
they cycle materials through an ecosystem
how do microorganisms cycle materials through an ecosystem?
by returning carbon to the atmosphere are carbon dioxide and mineral ions in the soil.
what does the water cycle provide?
fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into the seas
water is continuously?
evaporated and precipitated
under certain conditions, such as a lack of oxygen, decomposers cannot function effectively. what can this lead to?
dead remains can slowly be converted into fossil fuels
large amount of carbon has been trapped underground as ?
fossil fuels
combusting fossil fuels (e.g coal and oil) releases?
a large amount of carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere
what is water?
an abiotic factor(non living) that affects communities
what does energy from the sun cause?
causes the water to evaporate from the surface of the sea
the water vapour now travels into air and?
cools down
when water vapor cools what happens it condenses it form?
clouds
the water in the clouds then falls to the ground as ?
percipitation
all forms of precipitation contain?
fresh water, do not contain salt
plants take up water in their roots?
water moves up the plant in xylem , and passes out out leaves through stomata as water vapour
