B4.1 - Ecosystems Flashcards
What is an ecosystem
Made up of living organisms called a community and physical conditions where they live as a habitat
Population
The total number of organisms in a species
Producers
Organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis
E.g. plants and algae
Consumers
Organisms that cannot make their own food so eat other organisms to gain energy
E.g. all animals
Decomposers
Consumers that gain energy by feeding on dead or decaying material
Energy to plants
Energy is taken from the sun and splits water into hydrogen ions and oxygen
The hydrogen ions react with carbon dioxide to make glucose molecules
Energy can be used for the organisms to
Gain in biomass
Food chain
displays what they eat and the transfer of biomass
Tropic level
Each step in the chain
Food web
Series of interlinked food chains
Biotic factors
The living factors
E.g. trees and animals
Abiotic factors
The non living factors
E.g. temperature and atmosphere
What abiotic factors affect ecosystems
Light intensity- needed for photosynthesis
Temperature - enzymes work faster in hotter
Moisture levels - need water for blood plasma and plants
Soil pH - affects biological activity in soil and only certain plants can grow in certain conditions
What do plants need to survive
Water, minerals, light, space, carbon dioxide
What do animals need to survive
Partner
Food
Water
Shelter
Space
Predation
Relationship between predator and prey
Mutualism
Relationship where both organisms benefit
Parasitism
Relationship where one organism gains and the other suffers
Predation graph
- As population of prey increases, large food supply
- as this increases, the predators get more food and increase in population
- as more come, there is competition for food and no. Of predators decrease
- the prey population increase again and cycle
Pyramid of biomass
Show population of each tropic level:
-make key
-find size and divide by key
-draw
How is biomass decreased at each level?
-respiration
-excretion
-egestion
-used to increase own biomass
-movement and growth
What nutrients are recycled
-carbon to make DNA
-nitrogen for minerals and proteins
-water for hydration and living conditions
how is carbon decreased
Through photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is taken in and converted to glucose and oxygen
How is carbon increased
Respiration
Decomposition
Fossil fuels
