B7- Ecology Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
The interaction of a community of biotic (living) with abiotic (non-living) parts of the environment.
What four things do plants compete for?
- space
- water
- light intensity
- mineral ions
What is a community?
A group of animals and/or plants of a different species
What is a population?
A group of animals or plants of the same species
What three things do animals complete for?
- Mates
- Food
- territory
Give two examples of producers.
- Algae
* Plants
Give an example of interdependence in a community.
Species depending on each other for: •Food •Shelter •Pollination •seed dispersal
What is a stable community?
Population size that remains fairly constant
Name the primary consumer in this food chain:
Grass-> Rabbit-> Fox-> Eagle
Rabbit
Name the secondary consumer in this food chain:
Grass-> Rabbit-> Fox-> Eagle
Fox
Name the tertiary consumer in this food chain:
Grass-> Rabbit-> Fox-> Eagle
Eagle
What do the arrows represent in a food chain?
The transfer of energy
What is the name of the grid used in random sampling?
Quadrat
Describe a method on how to carry out a random sample.
1) divide area into even sections and number them.
2) using a random number generator select 10 different numbers.
3) place a 1x1m quadrat on the different areas that the number generator selected.
4) count the number of organisms within the quadrat.
5) repeat for all 10 different area numbers.
6) work out the mean number of organisms per quadrat.
How would you find the population size in a given area?
1) work out the mean number of organisms per m^2 using random sampling.
2) multiply the mean by the total area.
Name the producer in this food chain:
Grass-> Rabbit-> Fox-> Eagle
Grass
What are predators?
Consumers that hunt and kill other animals
What are prey?
Animals eaten by predators
In what tropic level are producers found?
Trophic level 1
In what trophic level are herbivores found?
Trophic level 2
What percentage of the incident energy from light is transferred for photosynthesis by producers?
About 1%
What equation would calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer between trophic levels?
Efficiency=biomass of chosen level/biomass of previous level. x100
What is an apex predator?
Carnivore at the top of the food chain that has no predators.
Why does not all the biomass get passed up to the next trophic level? Give three reasons.
- Energy lost through movement and respiration.
- Not all ingested material is absorbed into the body, some is lost through faeces.
- Waste products of water and urea are lost through urine.
What percentage of biomass from each trophic level is transferred to the level above?
About 10%
Label the trophic levels on a pyramid of biomass with 4 levels.
Bottom:
Trophic level 1-producer
Trophic level 2-herbivore-primary consumer
Trophic level 3-carnivore-secondary consumer
Trophic level 4-carnivore-tertiary consumer-apex predictor
Top:
