B7: Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

What do organisms compete for?

A

-Food
-Water
-Space
-Light
-CO2/O2
-Mate

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2
Q

What is interdependence?

A

-Organisms depending on each other for survival
-When this happens, a COMMUNITY is formed

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3
Q

What are abiotic factors?

A

The non-living factors e.g. light, temperature, moisture, soil pH, CO2 & O2 concentration

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4
Q

What are biotic factors?

A

The impact of other organisms on an ecosystem e.g. food, predators/prey and pathogens

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5
Q

What is the sampling practical?

A

-Place QUADRAT in random positions in an area (ideally 10% of an area, using a random number generator to choose locations)
-Count number of chosen organism in each, calculate mean then multiply by total area to get estimate for population
-Moving it along a TRANSECT allows you to observe changes in population density over a distance

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6
Q

What do food chains show?

A

The direction of BIOMASS transfer between organisms

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7
Q

What are producers?

A

Organisms that use sunlight to produce biomass e.g. plants, algae

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8
Q

What are primary consumers?

A

They eat producers, herbivores/omnivores

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9
Q

What are secondary consumers?

A

Prey on primary consumers, carnivores/omnivores

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10
Q

What are tertiary consumers?

A

Prey on secondary consumers, carnivores/omnivores

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11
Q

Where are apex predators found:

A

-At the top of the food chain
-They have no natural predators

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12
Q

What are the different levels in a food chain/web called?

A

Trophic levels

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13
Q

How is carbon recycled?

A

When a organism dies and decomposes, and as they excrete CO2 while alive (bacteria also do this)

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14
Q

What is the water cycle?

A

-Rain falls
-This runs into rivers, sea
-Water is evaporated
-Cycle continues

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15
Q

How can decomposition be used?

A

-To produce natural fertilisers to help crops grow
-To produce methane gas for use as a fuel

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16
Q

Define biodiversity

A

The variety of species of organisms that exist in an ecosystem

17
Q

How does high biodiversity make for a stable ecosystem?

A

Organisms will be able to be dependent on a greater number of other species for survival

18
Q

How does human development result in reduced biodiversity?

A

-The destruction of habitats
-Disposing of waste in safe ways in order to reduce our impact is getting harder

19
Q

What is land needed for?

A

-Building
-Quarrying
-Farming
-Disposing of waste

20
Q

Why are peat bogs being destroyed and what effect does this have on biodiversity?

A

-Being destroyed for compost
-Reduces biodiversity of that ecosystem, especially for microorganisms
-Burning peat also releases CO2-contributes to global warming

21
Q

What is the main reason for deforestation?

A

To create farmland

22
Q

What is the pyramid of biomass?

A

Indicates how much biomass is transferred between trophic levels

23
Q

any % =

A

‘the bit’/’the lot’ x100
e.g. % absorbed = biomass at 2nd level/biomass at first level x100

24
Q

Why is biomass lost at each level?

A

This is due to not all of it being consumed/absorbed, and organisms losing it while they are alive via excretion

25
Q

Why is food security currently a big concern?

A

Changing diets & growing environments, fuel & energy prices, cost of farming, and conflict

26
Q

How are farmers farming more efficiently?

A

Increasing biomass input while reducing wasted biomass

27
Q

What is sustainable fishing?

A

Ensures that fish are not caught faster than they can breed, so populations remain constant e.g. by using nets with large holes so juvenile (young) fish can escape and breed

28
Q

What are benefits of GM crops?

A

-Can increase yields
-Other methods are being developed to provide nutrients e.g. fungi grown on glucose syrup