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[ GCSE ] biology > B7: Ecology > Flashcards

B7: Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

State the levels of organisation in an ecosystem

A
  • individual, population,community, ecosystem
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2
Q

what is an ecosystem?

A
  • the interaction between the biotic components and abiotic components
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3
Q

State the 4 factors that plants may compete for:

A
  • light
  • space
  • wate4
  • mineral ions from soil
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4
Q

State 3 the factors that animals might compete for

A
  • food
  • mates
  • territory
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5
Q

what is intraspecific competition?

A
  • competition within a species
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6
Q

what is interspecific competition

A
  • competition between different species
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7
Q

what is interdependence?

A
  • different species in an ecosystem depend on each other for various resources ,
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8
Q

what is a stable community?

A
  • A community in which all the biotic factors and all abiotic factors are balanced
  • so that population sizes remain relatively constant
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9
Q

Define a ‘ community’

A

All of the populations of different species living together in a habitat

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10
Q

Define abiotic factors and give three examples

A

abiotic: the non-living aspects of an ecosystem
examples: temperature, light and wind intensity, soil pH, oxygen levels

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11
Q

Define biotic factors and give three examples

A

biotic: The living components of an ecosystem
examples: food availability, pathogens,
predators

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12
Q

why might light intensity affect plants in an ecosystem?

A

different species of plants may have different optimum light intensities for growth

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13
Q

why does temperature affect an ecosystem?

A

different species of plants and animals may have different optimum temperatures for growth and survival

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14
Q

how does soil pH affect an ecosystem?

A
  • certain plants may grow better in either alkaline or acidic soil
  • soil pH may affect the appearance of the plant
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15
Q

How does moisture level affect an ecosystem?

A
  • many plants cannot survive in waterlogged soil as their roots cannot respire
  • certain plants are adapted to high moisture levels
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16
Q

How does low wind intensity affect an ecosystem?

A
  • plant seeds are more likely to germinate in locations with lower wind intensity
  • which may also attract animals that depend on the plant to live nearby
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17
Q

How does soil mineral content affect an ecosystem?

A
  • most plants require a high level of soil minerals to grow well
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18
Q

Give an example of a type of plants that have adapted to low soil mineral content

A
  • carnivorous plants catch insects to compensate for the low level of soil mineral content
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19
Q

How does carbon dioxide concentration affect plants in an ecosystem?

A
  • higher Co2 concentration leads to more plant growth
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20
Q

How does oxygen concentration affect an ecosystem? aquatic animals

A
  • aquatic animals cannot survive in areas with low O2 concentration
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21
Q

Define ‘ adaptations’

A
  • features that enable organisms to survive in their living environment
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22
Q

what are organisms living in extreme environments called?

A
  • extremophiles
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23
Q

give three examples of extreme living environments

A
  • high temperature
  • high pressure
  • high salt concentration
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24
Q

State an example of where extremophile bacteria can be found

A

in deep sea vents

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25
Q

Define population

A

a species that interbreed and occupy the same habitat

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26
Q

Define habitat

A
  • the place in which an organism lives
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27
Q

What do food chains show?

A
  • the feeding relationships of different organisms and the flow of energy between the organisms
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28
Q

Define biomass

A
  • the total mass of living material
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29
Q

what are trophic levels

A

the stages in a food chain

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30
Q

what do arrows in a food chain represent?

A
  • the direction of biomass transfer
  • the flow of energy
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31
Q

describe a simple food chain

A

producer - primary consumer - secondary consumer - tertiary consumer

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32
Q

what is a producer and what types of organisms are primary producers?

A
  • an organism that makes its own food
  • photosynthetic organisms like green plants and algae that trap energy from the sun
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33
Q

what are primary, secondary, tertiary consumers?

A

primary: an organism that feeds on producers
secondary: an organism that feeds on primary consumers
tertiary: an organism that feeds on secondary consumers

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34
Q

what is a predator?

A
  • a consumer that kills and eats other animals
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35
Q

what is prey?

A
  • an animal that is killed and eaten by another animal
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36
Q

Describe the pattern of predators and prey in a stable community

A
  • the numbers of predators and prey rise and fall in cycles
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37
Q

why are producers the first trophic level?

A
  • producers provide all biomass for he food chain ( production of glucose via photosynthesis)
  • the rest of the food chain involves the transfer of this biomass
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38
Q

what piece of apparatus is used to measure the abundance and distribution of organisms in an area?

A
  • quadrat
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39
Q

what piece of apparatus is used to study the distribution of organisms across a gradient?

A
  • belt transect
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40
Q

when considering the abundance of organisms, what is meant by the term ‘ mean ‘

A
  • the average number of organisms
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41
Q

how is the arithmetic mean calculated?

A
  • sum of each number of each organism / the total number of each type of organism
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42
Q

when considering the abundance of different organisms, what is meant by the term ‘’ mode ‘’

A

the most populous organism

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43
Q

when considering the abundance of organisms what is meant by the term ‘‘median’’

A
  • organism that represents the middle value when the numbers of each organism are arranged from lowest to highest
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44
Q

Required practical: measuring the population size of a common species in a habitat

A
  • choose a starting point on the school field in an area where the grass is often cut
  • use random numbers to generate a set of coordinates to place your first quadrat
  • count the number of different plant species within this quadrat (the species richness)
  • return to your starting position and repeat steps two and three a further 14 times using different random numbers
  • repeat steps one to four for a part of the school field which the grass is infrequently cut
  • compare your results by calculating a mean for each location
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45
Q

Describe how materials cycle through the living and non-living components of an ecoystem

A
  • organisms take in elements from their surroundings eg soil air
  • these elements are converted to complex molecules which become biomass
  • they are then transferred along food chains
  • elements are then returned to environment during excretion and decomposition of dead organisms
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46
Q

Give three molecules which are cycled through ecosystems

A
  • oxygen
  • carbon dioxide
  • water
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47
Q

Describe the carbon cycle

A
  • plants fix carbon dioxide into organic molecules during photosynthesis
  • the organic carbon-containing molecules are passed onto organisms that eat the plants
  • carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere by respiration from animals and plants
  • burning fossil fuels also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
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48
Q

why is the carbon cycle important?

A
  • carbon-containing molecules such as glucose are important for living organisms
  • to grow and provide energy for vital functions within cells
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49
Q

Describe the water cycle

A
  • water from lakes and oceans evaporates
  • the evaporated water condenses into clouds and returns to earth as precipitation
  • the water from precipitation is useful for life on land
  • the water then returns to rivers and oceans through surface runoff
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50
Q

why is the water cycle important?

A
  • living organisms require water
  • the water cycle provides organisms on land with a continuous supply of water
51
Q

why are microorganism important for the cycling of materials through an ecosystem

A
  • microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) return carbon to the environment by releasing carbon dioxide through respiration while they decompose dead matter
  • the decomposition of dead matter in soil returns mineral ions to the environment for other organisms to use
52
Q

define decomposition

A
  • the breakdown of dead materials into simpler organic matter
53
Q

how do decomposers break down dead matter?

A
  • decomposers release enzymes which catalyse the breakdown of dead material into smaller molecules
54
Q

what are the two types of decomposition?

A
  • aerobic decomposition ( with oxygen)
  • anaerobic decomposition (without oxygenn)
55
Q

give three factors which affect the rate of decomposition

A
  • oxygen availability
  • temperature
  • water content
56
Q

why is oxygen required for decomposition?

A
  • most decomposers require oxygen for aerobic respiration
57
Q

how does the availability of oxygen affect the rate of decomposition

A
  • as oxygen levels increase, the rate of decomposition increases
  • the converse
58
Q

why can decomposition still occur in the absence of oxygen

A

some decomposers respire anaerobically
- although the rate of decomposition is slower as anaerobic respiration produces less energy

59
Q

how does soil water content affect the rate of decomposition?

A
  • decomposers require water to survive
  • in moist conditions the rate of decomposition is high
  • in waterlogged soils there is little oxygen for respiration so the rate of decomposition decreases
60
Q

why does decomposition require water?

A
  • required for the secretion of enzymes and absorption of dissolved molecules
61
Q

how does temperature affect the rate of decomposition ?

A

decomposers release enzymes:
- rate highest at 50 degrees
- lower temperatures , enzymes work too slowly rate decreases
- high temperatures, enzymes denature, decomposition stops

62
Q

how is the rate of change calculated when considering the decay of biological material.

A

rate of change= change in value/ change in time

63
Q

what is compost?

A
  • the nutrient-rich product of the rapid decay of wate biological material
  • dead plants and animal waste
64
Q

how is compost used?

A
  • used as natural fertiliser to promote growth of crops or garden plants
65
Q

describe how biogas generators work?

A
  • Anaerobic decay in animal waste produces methane gas.
  • Biogas generators can be used to produce methane gas as a fuel
66
Q

give 3 examples of environmental conditions and describe how they affect communities

A
  • temperature
  • availability of water
  • composition of atmospheric gases
  • they affect the abundance and distribution of organism within communities
67
Q

how can differing temperatures be bad for certain communities?

A
  • if the temperature is too low, growth will be slower as organisms will use more energy to stay warm
  • if the temperature is too high, organisms can die and water will become limited as evaporation increases
68
Q

how can changes in water levels affect ecosystems?

A
  • low : animals may have to migrate to find water
  • high: melting ice caps may destroy the habitats of some animals
68
Q

delete

A

card

69
Q

how can atmospheric gases affect ecosystems?

A
  • some organisms cannot survive when certain gases are present
  • polluted water can cause illness to animals that drink it
70
Q

how is sulfuric acid formed and what detrimental impacts can sulfur dioxide have on the environment?

A
  • formed when fossil fuels containing impurities are burnt
  • sulfur dioxide can dissolve in water to form acid rain which can erode buildings and pollute water sources
71
Q

how is carbon monoxide formed and what detrimental impacts can carbon monoxide have on the environment?

A
  • carbon monoxide is formed from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels
  • it binds irreversibly to haemoglobin which prevents it from carrying oxygen
  • too much exposure can cause unconsciousness and death
72
Q

name 5 greenhouse gases

A
  • water vapour
  • carbon dioxide
  • nitrous dioxide
  • methane
  • CFCs
73
Q

give 3 human activities that contribute to greenhouse gases

A
  • burning fossil fuels
  • deforestation
  • large scale livestock farming
74
Q

how do greenhouse gases lead to global warming?

A
  • greenhouse gases allow heat from the sun to enter the atmosphere
  • the gases act as a ‘ blanket’ and trap the heat in the atmosphere
75
Q

delete

A

card

76
Q

what is biodiversity?

A
  • the variety of the different species on earth or within an ecosystem
77
Q

what is the importance of biodiversity?

A
  • to maintain the stability of an ecosystem
78
Q

how does biodiversity ensure the stability of an ecosystem?

A
  • it reduces the dependence on particular species for resources eg. food and shelter, - so that even if one species is removed other species can still survive
79
Q

give two reasons why human consumption of resources and waste production increased?

A
  • rapid rise in human population
  • increase in standard of living
80
Q

where does pollution occur and state examples of each

A
  • air ( smoke, acidic gases)
  • land ( landfill waste, chemicals)
  • water ( sewage, fertiliser, chemicals)
81
Q

how does eutrophication occur?

A
  • fertiliser from farms pollute the water, causing excessive algae growth
  • this depletes the oxygen in the water, causing other plants and animals to die
  • dead plants are decomposed by bacteria and the oxygen level decreases further
82
Q

give 4 human activities which reduce the land available for animals and plants

A
  • buildings
  • farming
  • quarrying
  • disposing of waste
83
Q

why have peat bpgs been destroyed?

A
  • to produce compost to increase food production
84
Q

why does the destruction of peat bogs greatly contribute to the greenhouse effect?

A
  • peat bogs are stores of carbon ( carbon sinks) and burning them releases a large volume if carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
85
Q

why have large-scale deforestation activities occurred?

A
  • to provide land for cattle or rice fields
  • to grow crops to produce biofuels
86
Q

what is the greenhouse effect?

A
  • greenhouse gases trap energy from the sun as heat in the atmosphere , keeping the temperature on earth suitable for life
87
Q

what is causing global warming

A
  • the increase in levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
  • causing the temperature on earth to increase
88
Q

what are the 2 harmful effects of deforestation?

A
  • destruction of many animals habitats
  • releases large amounts of greenhouse gases
89
Q

state 6 consequences of global warming

A
  • rising sea levels
  • melting polar ice caps
  • changing weather pattern
  • migration of animals to find suitable habitats
  • tropical diseases becoming more common
  • extinction of species
90
Q

describe 6 the steps taken to maintain biodiversity

A
  • breeding programmes for endangered species
  • protection and rebuilding habitats
  • replanting field margins and hedgerows
  • reduce deforestation
  • reduce carbon dioxide emissionns
  • recycling rather than disposing in landfills
91
Q

what is the purpose of replanting hedgerows and field margins?

A
  • there is higher biodiversity in the margins than the fields that they surround
92
Q

delete card

A

pls do it now so u can get a higher overall mastery percentage

93
Q

what are trophic levels? how are they represented

A
  • the stages in a food chain
  • represented by umbers, starting from 1
94
Q

what is trophic levels 1-2

A

1: plants and algae which make their own food ( through photosynthesis called producers )
2: herbivores which eat producers- called primary consumers

95
Q

what is trophic levels 3-4

A

3: carnivores that eat herbivores called secondary consumers
4: carnivores that eat other carnivores called tertiary consumers

96
Q

what is an apex predator?

A
  • a carnivore with no predators
97
Q

how do decomposers break down dead matter?

A
  • decomposers release enzymes which catalyse the breakdown of dead material into smaller molecules
  • soluble small food molecules then diffuse into the microorganism
98
Q

what is biomass?

A
  • the dry mass of all of the living organisms in an area
99
Q

why is dry mass used for measuring biomass

A

the wet mass varies as the volume of water in the organism varies

100
Q

how do u calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer?

A

efficiency=( energy transferred/total energy available) x 100

101
Q

what percentage of the incident energy from light or photosynthesis do producers transfer?

A

1%

102
Q

what percentage of the biomass rom one trophic level is transferred to the level above it in feeding

A
  • approx 10%
103
Q

why are biomass transfers not 100% efficient ? (4)

A
  • egestion ( removal of faeces)
  • excretion ( removal of waste products e.g urine containing urea and water)
  • respiration ( loss of carbon dioxide and water) in which large amounts of glucose are used
  • the production of inedible bones and shells
104
Q

how does the efficiency of biomass transfers affect the number of trophic levels in a biomass pyramid?

A
  • the less efficient the transfers, the fewer trophic levels and the fewer organisms in higher trophic levels
105
Q

what is a biomass pyramid?

A
  • a pyramid that shows the total dry mass of organisms at each trophic level
  • trophic level 1 is at the bottom of the pyramid
106
Q

what is food security?

A
  • having enough food to be able to feed a population
107
Q

state the 6 biological factors threatening food security

A
  • rising birth rates
  • changing diets in developed countries - food is transported around the world
  • new pests and pathogens
  • environmental changes affecting food production
  • increased cost of agriculture
  • armed conflicts
108
Q

give five ways to improve the efficiency of food production

A
  • feed animals high protein foods to increase growth
  • reduce their energy loss to the environment:
  • limiting movement
  • regulating their surrounding temperature
  • feed animals antibiotics to prevent diseases
109
Q

give three advantages of intensive farming ?

A
  • higher yield of food
  • more efficient
  • allows easier quality control
110
Q

give 4 disadvantages of intensive farming?

A
  • may lead to antibiotic resistance
  • cost is high
  • ethical objections e.g limiting movement of animals may cause them harm
  • biodiversity may be reduced
111
Q

give two ways fish stocks can be conserved

A
  • control the size of gas in fishing nets to prevent juvenile fish from being killed
  • introduce fishing quotas
112
Q

what is a transgenic organism?

A
  • an organism that has been genetically modified to contain genetic material from another source
113
Q

state an example of genetically modified foods

A
  • golden rice
114
Q

give three reasons why crops are genetically modified?

A
  • to improve nutritional value
  • to be pest resistant
  • to be pesticide resistant
115
Q

what are advantages of golden rice?

A
  • it contains additional beta-carotene which can be converted too vitamin A in the body
  • this supplements people who do not obtain enough Vitamin A in their diet to prevent night blindness from forming
116
Q

what is mycoprotein?

A
  • a protein-rich substance used to make meat substitute food for vegetarians and vegans
117
Q

how is mycoprotein produced

A
  • Fusarium, a fungus is grown on glucose syrup in aerobic conditions
  • the biomass is harvested and purified to get the mycoprotein
118
Q

explain how making dog food from insects could improve human food
security in the future (3)

A
  • less land required so there are more space for crops for humans
  • less methane (from animals) therefore less global warming
  • (therefore) less harmful effects of global warming on (human) food production
119
Q

Explain why the fermenter is sterilised before use (2)

A
  • kills microorganisms microbes
  • which compete for food / oxygen
120
Q

Explain why Fusarium needs glucose and oxygen.

A

for (aerobic) respiration
(which) releases energy (for growth

121
Q

suggest why it is useful for bubbles of air and materials to move around
inside the fermenter

A

so Fusarium can
* grow faster / better
* get sufficient food / glucose / mineral

122
Q

delete me

A

pls

[ GCSE ] biology (10 decks)

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