B7- Ecology Flashcards
What are producers of biomass for life on Earth?
Photosynthetic organisms
What do all food chains begin with?
What organism is it usually?
How do they make their glucose?
A producer
A green plant or algae
Photosynthesis
How is the distribution of a species in
an ecosystem investigated?
How is the abundance of a species in
an ecosystem investigated?
Transects
Quadrats
What are predators?
Consumers that kill and eat other animals
What is prey?
An animal that is eaten by a predator
What happens to the numbers of predators and prey in a stable community?
In a stable community the numbers of predators and prey rise and fall in cycles.
What is an ecosystem?
A community of biotic and abiotic components that interact with each other and their environment
What do plants compete for?
Light
Space
Water
Mineral ions from the soil
What do animals compete for?
Food
Mates
Territory
What do species within an ecosystem rely on each other for?
Food,
Shelter
Pollination
Seed dispersal
What is interdependance?
Different species within an ecosystem relying on each other
What is a stable community?
A community where all the species and environmental factors are in
balance so that population sizes remain fairly constant
What are abiotic factors?
Non-living factors which can affect a community
Give some examples of abiotic factors (7)
-light intensity
-temperature
- moisture levels
- soil pH and mineral content
- wind intensity and direction
- carbon dioxide levels for plants
- oxygen levels for aquatic animals.
What are biotic factors?
Living factors which can affect a community
Give some examples of biotic factors (4)
-availability of food
-new predators arriving
-new pathogens
-one species outcompeting another so the numbers are no longer
sufficient to breed
-human activity
What are adaptations?
Features that enable organisms to survive in the conditions in which they normally live
What are the three types of adaptation?
Structural
Behavioural
Functional
What are structural adaptations?
Give some examples
Physical characteristics that an organism has to help it survive
For example:
-camouflage through the colour of fur
-cacti having spikes
What are behavioural adaptations?
Give some examples
Behaviour that certain species use to survive in an environment
For example:
-migration
-hibernation
-hunting in packs
What are functional/physiological adaptations?
Give some examples
Internal processes or systems in an organism that help it survive
For example:
-high reproductive rate
-high metabolic rate in response to danger
What are extremophiles?
What kind of organism are they usually?
Organisms that are adapted to live in extreme environments.
They are usually microorganisms
What types of environment do extremophiles usually live in?
High temperature (like inside volcanoes)
High pressure
High salt concentration
Very acidic
Radioactive
How does carbon enter the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis
How is carbon returned to the atmosphere in the carbon cycle?
Respiration (animals, plants, decomposers)
Combustion
What does the water cycle provide? For who?
Fresh water for plants and animals on land
How do decomposers return carbon to the atmosphere?
Respiration
How does temperature affect the rate of decay of biological material?
Decomposition happens faster at warmer temperatures because the enzymes used work faster in warm conditions. However, if it is too hot, the enzymes will denature so decomposition can’t occur
How does water availability affect the rate of decay of biological material?
Decomposition occurs faster in moist conditions because many of the chemical reactions that it requires need water.
How does oxygen availability affect the rate of decay of biological material?
Decomposers need oxygen to aerobically respire so there must be sufficient supply of oxygen in order for decomposition to occur.
What is compost?
What is it used for?
Compost is decayed organic matter
It is used as a natural fertiliser
What does anaerobic decay produce?
Methane
What is the methane produced from anaerobic decay also known as?
Biogas
How is biogas produced?
Biogas generators can be
used to produce methane from the anaerobic respiration of decomposers that are breaking down waste materials such as food waste and animal manure.
What is biogas used for?
To provide fuel for homes
Two advantages of having a biogas generator underground
-Maintains warm temperature
-Removes visual pollution
What is biodiversity?
The variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth, or within an ecosystem
Why is good biodiversity important?
It ensures the stability of ecosystems by reducing the dependence of one species on another for food, shelter and the
maintenance of the physical environment
Why is more waste now being produced?
Rapid growth in the human population and an increase in the standard
of living mean that increasingly more resources are used and more
waste is produced
What are the three causes of pollution?
-in water, from sewage, fertiliser or toxic chemicals
-in air, from smoke and acidic gases
-on land, from landfill and from toxic chemicals
Why does pollution reduce biodiversity?
Pollution kills plants and animals which can reduce biodiversity
How do humans reduce the amount of land available for other animals and
plants?
-building
-quarrying
-farming
-dumping waste in landfill
-destruction of peat bogs, and other areas of peat to produce garden compost
What does the decay or burning of the peat release?
Carbon dioxide
What has large-scale deforestation in tropical areas occurred for?
-to provide land for cattle and rice fields
-grow crops for biofuels.
What are the consequences of global warming?
-reduced biodiversity and therefore less stable ecosystems
-migration and changed distribution of species
-habitat loss
-extinction
What programmes are being put in place to reduce the negative effects of humans on ecosystems and biodiversity?
-breeding programmes for endangered species
-protection and regeneration of rare habitats
-reintroduction of field margins and hedgerows in agricultural areas
where farmers grow only one type of crop
-reduction of deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions by some
governments
-recycling resources rather than dumping waste in landfill.
What are apex predators?
Carnivores with no predators
What are producers?
What trophic level are they found on?
Plants and algae that make their own food through photosynthesis
They are found on the first trophic level
What are primary consumers?
What trophic level are they found on?
Herbivores that eat plants/algae
They are found on the second trophic level
What are secondary consumers?
What trophic level are they found on?
Carnivores that eat herbivores
They are found on the third trophic level
What are tertiary consumers?
What trophic level are they found on?
Carnivores that eat other carnivores
They are found on the fourth trophic level
What do pyramids of biomass represent?
The relative amount of biomass in each level of a food chain
Where is the first trophic level found on a pyramid of biomass?
At the bottom of the pyramid
How much of the biomass from each trophic level is transferred to the level above it?
10%
How much of the light that producers take in from light is transferred to the next trophic level?
1%
Why isn’t all of biomass from each trophic level transferred to the level above it?
-not the full organism is eaten
-some glucose is used in respiration
-some energy is used for movement
-some energy is used to maintain a body temperature
-excretion
What is food security?
Having enough food to feed a population
What are the biological factors
affecting levels of food security? (6)
-the increasing birth rate has threatened food security in some countries
-changing diets in developed countries means scarce food resources are transported around the world
-new pests and pathogens that affect farming
-environmental changes that affect food production, such as widespread famine occurring in some countries if rains fail
-the cost of agricultural inputs
-conflicts that have arisen in some parts of the world which affect the availability of water or food.
How can the efficiency of food production be improved?
-limiting the movement of animals so less energy is used
-controlling the temperature of the
surroundings of the animals so less energy is used to maintain body temperature
-some animals are fed high protein foods to increase growth
How can fish stocks be conserved at a sustainable level?
-fishing quotas
-smaller nets with bigger holes
What how does modern biotechnology help meet the demands of the growing human population?
It enables large quantities of
microorganisms to be cultured for food
What fungus is used to produce mycoprotein?
Fusarium
What does Fusarium produce? What is it?
It produces mycoprotein, which is a protein-rich food suitable for vegetarians
How is mycoprotein produced?
The fungus (Fusarium) is grown on glucose syrup, in aerobic conditions, and the biomass is harvested and purified
How can genetic modification help treat diabetes?
A genetically modified bacterium produces human insulin
How can genetically modified crops help meet the growing demand for food?
Give an example of a GM crop and why it helps
It could provide more food or food with an improved nutritional value such as golden rice which has added vitamin A which helps reduce the chance of blindness
