B7 : Seneca Flashcards
(131 cards)
What is an ecosystem made up of
An ecosystem is made up of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts
What are individuals
Individual organisms are the smallest part of an ecosystem.
What are Populations
Populations of individual organisms make up a single species.
What are Communities
Communities are made up of populations of different species.
Competition for resources between animals
Animals often compete for food, mates and territory.
Competition for resources between plants
Plants often compete for water and mineral ions (minerals) from the soil, as well as for light and space.
From which two parts of an ecosystem do organisms need resources to survive and preproduce
Biotic (living)
Abiotic (non-living)
What is interdependence
There is interdependence between different species. This means that one species may rely on another species for services such as food, shelter, pollination, and seed dispersal
What are the factors that species may rely on each other for
Food, Shelter, Pollination, Seed dispersal
What is a stable community
A community is stable when all the species and environmental factors are balanced and population sizes stay more or less constant
When a community is stable, the populations within it are:
Fairly constant
Why may removing one species from an ecosystem make it unstable
There is interdependence between different species.
Removing one species from an ecosystem could remove a key predator or prey. This would either increase or reduce population sizes.
What do food chains show
Food chains show the feeding relationships within a community
What do food chains start with
Food chains nearly always begin with a producer that makes its own food. This is usually a green plant or algae that can photosynthesize
What are producers
Producers are eaten by animals called primary consumers.
What are Primary consumers
Primary consumers are eaten by secondary consumers.
What are Secondary consumers
Secondary consumers are eaten by tertiary consumers.
What are Tertiary consumers
An apex predator is at the top of the food chain.
What is a predator-prey graph
Predator-prey graphs show the cyclical nature of predator and prey populations in stable communities
What word best describes the nature of predator-prey dynamics in stable communities?
Cyclic
How does Environmental Change affect an ecosystem or environment
Environmental change affects the distribution (spread) of species, and in extreme cases, their longevity (how long they survive)
What are examples of environmental changes
. Temperature
. Water
. Atmospheric gases
Temperature
Polar bears hunt seals on floating sea ice.
Increasing temperatures cause this ice to melt. This means that the polar bears are no longer able to hunt their main food source.
Water
Wildebeests migrate annually from the Serengeti plains of Tanzania Northwards into Kenya to track seasonal changes in rainfall patterns.