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Biology - Real One > B4.1 - Ecosystems > Flashcards

B4.1 - Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the definition of an ecosystem

A

An ecosystem is made up of all of the living organisms and physical conditions present in an area

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2
Q

What is a community?

A

All the living organisms in an area

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3
Q

What is a habitat?

A

The place in which an organism lives

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4
Q

What is the population?

A

The number of organisms of a species living in an area

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5
Q

What are the main three groups/categories of a community?

A

Producers

Consumers

Decomposers

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6
Q

What is a producer

A

An organism that can make its own food by photosynthesis

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7
Q

What are examples of producers?

A

Plants

Algae

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8
Q

What are consumers

A

Organisms that cannot make their own food. They have to eat other organisms to gain energy

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9
Q

What are examples of consumers

A

All animals are consumers

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10
Q

What are decomposers?

A

A special group of consumers.

They gain their energy by feeding on dead or decaying material

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11
Q

What is biomass

A

The total mass of organism in a given area

The mass of living material present

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12
Q

How is energy transferred in a producer

A

Energy from the sun is transferred by light to chlorophyll in plant cells

Here carbon dioxide and water react to produce glucose which stores energy within its chemical bonds.

Glucose can then be converted into carbohydrates, fats and proteins which are used as energy stores for growth and repair.

As an organism grows it increases its biomass

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13
Q

Where does glucose store its energy

A

Within its chemical bonds

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14
Q

What can glucose be converted to

A

Carbohydrates

Fats

Proteins

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15
Q

How is energy transferred in consumers

A

Consumers eat the producers.

When the organism respires, the energy stored in its food is transferred to make ATP.

The organism grows and its biomass increases

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16
Q

What is a food chain?

A

It displays what an organism eats

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17
Q

What do the arrows in a food chain represent?

A

They show the transfer of biomass from one organism to the next .

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18
Q

What is a trophic level?

A

It is a feeding level in a food chain

Each step in a food chain is a trophic level

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19
Q

What is a prey organism

A

An animal that is eaten by another animal

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20
Q

What is a predator organism

A

An animal that eats other animals

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21
Q

What are herbivores and what trophic level are they at

A

Herbivores are animals that only eat plants

They are primary consumers

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22
Q

What is a carnivore and what level is it at in the food chain

A

A carnivore is An animal that only eats other animals

They are secondary consumers

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23
Q

What are tertiary consumers

A

They eat secondary consumers

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24
Q

What is a food web?

A

It is a series of interlinked food chains

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25
Q

What are the 2 main factors that affect an ecosystem?

A

Biotic factors

Abiotic factors

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26
Q

What is a biotic factor?

A

These are living factors

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27
Q

What are abiotic factors?

A

These are non-living or physical factors

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28
Q

What are examples of biotic factors

A

Competition

Number of organisms

Predation

Parasitism

Mutualism

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29
Q

What are examples of abiotic factors?

A

Temperature

Light intensity

Moisture levels

Soil pH

Level of pollutants in the air

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30
Q

How does light intensity affect communities?

A

Light is required for photosynthesis .

The greater the light intensity, the greater the success of a plant.

Plants evolve to grow successfully in different light intestities

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31
Q

How does temperature affect communities

A

Temperature effects enzymes that control metabolic reactions.

Plants develop faster in warmer temperatures as their metabolic rate would be faster.

Cold blooded animals rely on the sun to warm them up

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32
Q

What are ectotherms?

A

Cold blooded animals

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33
Q

What are endotherms

A

Warm blooded animals

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34
Q

How does moisture levels affect communities

A

A lack of water can lead to death

A lack of water causes plants to wilt because water is required to keep their cells turgid

Water is also required for photosynthesis

For animals:
Water is the main component of blood plasma

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35
Q

How does soil pH affect communities?

A

The pH of soil affects the availability of certain minerals

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36
Q

What plants grow better is acidic soils

A

Ferns

Rhododendrons

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37
Q

What plants grow better in alkaline solutions

A

Cucumbers

Cauliflower

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38
Q

What sensor is used to measure light intensity

A

A light meter

39
Q

What sensor is used to measure the availability of moisture

A

Humidity sensor

40
Q

What sensor is used to measure pH

A

A pH probe

41
Q

What is competition?

A

Two or more organisms contesting a resource

42
Q

Why do organisms need to compete?

A

To survive, animals and plants need a number of different minerals from their surroundings.

If materials are limited, plants and animals may need to compete for resources

43
Q

What do plants need to survive?

A

Light

Water

Carbon dioxide

Minerals

Space

44
Q

What do animals need to survive?

A

Food

Water

Breeding partners

Space (territory)

Shelter

45
Q

How does competition affect the size of a population

A

Competition has a direct effect on the size of a population

If there is a large amount of food available the population would increase

46
Q

What is interdependence

A

How different organisms depend on each other within a community

47
Q

What is an ecological relationship

A

Interactions between organisms in their environment

48
Q

What are the three main types of ecological relationships

A

Predation

Mutualism

Parasitism

49
Q

What is predation

A

The relationship between predator and prey organisms.

Predators depend of prey for food.

The size of the predator population directly affects the size of the prey population

50
Q

What is mutualism

A

A relationship where both organisms benefit

51
Q

What is parasitism?

A

Relationship in which The parasite gains and the host is harmed

52
Q

What is an example of a mutualistic relationship

A

Oxpeckers that live on Buffalo eat ticks and fleas living on the Buffalos skin.

The oxpeckers gain food while the Buffalo is free from irritation and potential disease

53
Q

What are examples of a parasitic relationship

A

Tapeworms in an animals digestive system

Fleas on cats

54
Q

What are disadvantages of food chains

A

They don’t show :
the number of organisms involved

the size of biomass transferred

55
Q

What does a pyramid of number show

A

It shows the population at each trophic level

56
Q

What does the bar width on a pyramid of number represent

A

It represents the number of organisms present

57
Q

Why are pyramid of numbers USUALLY pyramid shaped

A

One organism usually eats several organisms from the trophic level below

As you move from one trophic level to the next:

the size of the organism generally increases

The number of organisms generally decreases

58
Q

Why are not all pyramids of number pyramid shaped? (Why are some inverted)

A

Because pyramids of numbers do not take into account The size of the organism present

59
Q

What are disadvantages of pyramids of numbers

A

They don’t take into account the size of the organism present

60
Q

What are pyramids of biomass

A

It is a diagram representing the amount of biomass present at each trophic level of a food chain

61
Q

What is are advantages of pyramids of biomass

A

They take into account the number and size of the organism present

62
Q

How do scientists calculate biomass

A

They measure the average mass of organisms from each trophic level and multiply it by the number of organisms present at each trophic level

63
Q

Why do scientists calculate dry mass

A

Water content can vary between individuals

64
Q

How do scientists calculate dry mass

A

The organism has to be killed and dried in a kiln

65
Q

How is energy transferred to producers

A

By sunlight

66
Q

How much of the energy from sunlight to producers transfer to their chemical stores

A

Around 1%

67
Q

What happens to most of the energy transferred by sunlight

A

Most of the light is reflected from the leaf

68
Q

What happens to the energy transferred by photosynthesis

A

Up to half of it is used in respiration

The rest is transferred to increase the plants biomass

69
Q

How much energy from food to consumers convert into new body tissue

A

10%

70
Q

How is biomass lost

A

Eating

Respiration

Egestion

Excretion

71
Q

How is biomass lost through eating?

A

Not all of an organism is eaten (e.g bones)

72
Q

How is biomass lost through respiration

A

Respiration causes thermal energy to transfer to the surroundings

73
Q

What is egestion

A

The removal of indigestion waste from an organism

74
Q

Why is biomass lost through egestion

A

Parts of an organism that cannot be digested (e.g hair) are removed from the body in faeces

75
Q

How is biomass lost through excretion

A

Waste products are lost through excretion

76
Q

Why do very few food chains have more than 4 trophic levels

A

At each stage of the food chain the amount of energy becomes less

So not enough energy can be transferred to sustain life processes

77
Q

How do you calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer?

A

Efficiency of biomass (%)=

Biomass available after (g)
——————————————
Biomass available before(g)

78
Q

How is CO2 removed from the atmosphere

A

Carbon dioxide is removed from the environment during photosynthesis

Carbon dioxide and water are converted into glucose and oxygen

The glucose is converted into carbohydrates fats and proteins.
The carbon is apart of their extra biomass

79
Q

What happens to the carbon in the plant when the plant is eaten by an animal

A

The carbon in the plant is transferred to the animal

Some of this carbon is used to produce fats and proteins in the animals body

80
Q

How is carbon released back into the environment

A

Respiration

Decomposition

Burning fossil fuels

81
Q

How do respiration and decomposition release CO2 back into the environment

A

Carbon dioxide is a product of respiration

Decomposers break down the remains of dead organisms, releasing co2 as they respire

82
Q

How does burning fossil fuels release co2 back into the atmosphere

A

Fossil fuels are a store of carbon

When they burn, this trapped carbon is released

83
Q

What are examples of fossil fuels

A

Coal

Oil

Natural gas

84
Q

What is a decomposer?

A

Organisms that gain their energy by feeding on dead or decaying material

85
Q

What is a detritivore

A

They are small animals which break down organic material into smaller pieces

86
Q

What do decomposers do?

A

They break down dead organic material at a microscopic level

They also break down animal waste

Through decomposition, nutrients are released which can then be recycled

87
Q

Wha do detritivores do?

A

They speed up decomposition by shredding organic material into very small pieces

This creates a larger surface area for decomposers to work on

88
Q

How do decomposers release nutrients?

A

The decomposer secretes enzyme on to the dead remains

The enzymes digest the dead matter and make it soluble

The soluble products are absorbed by the decomposer

89
Q

What factors do microorganisms decompose materials most efficiently in?

A

Warm temperatures

Moist environment

Aerobic conditions

90
Q

How does temperature affect the rate of decomposition

A

At high temperatures the enzymes denature. This prevents decomposition and can result in the death of the microorganism

At low temperatures the rate of decomposition is too slow as the rate of enzyme reaction is decreased. The rate of microorganism replication is also low

91
Q

How do water levels affect the rate of decomposition

A

If not enough water is available the reactions within the microorganism will slow down

This reduces or stops decomposition

92
Q

How does oxygen levels affect the rate of decomposition

A

Oxygen is needed for the microorganism to respire

Anaerobic conditions will prevent decomposition as the microorganism cannot survive in this environment

93
Q

How do you calculate the rate of decay

A

Rate of decay (g/day) = change in mass (g)
———————————
Time (day)

94
Q

Explain the nitrogen cycle

A
  • Organisms use nitrogen to make DNA and proteins
    • Nitrogen exists in the soil as nitrates dissolved in water
    • The water is taken into the roots and the nitrates are used to make proteins
    • When the plant is eaten, nitrogen compounds are passed on to an animal
    • When plants and animals die, these compounds are broken down and released into the soil and ammonia
    • Animals also put nitrogen back into the soil in faeces and urea
    • Some plants (e.g peas) form mutualistic relationships with nitrogen fixing bacteria which live in their roots and combine nitrogen from the air with oxygen to form nitrates. These are then used by the plant

Biology - Real One (10 decks)

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