B9 - Ecosystems And Human Flashcards
What is parasitism
Relationships between species, where a parasite lives on or in another organism, causing harm
What is mutualism
A relationship that is beneficial to both organism
What is a decomposer
Organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms
What is Biodiversity
The variety of plant and animal life
What is conservation
Management of the environment and its natural resources
What is reforestation
Replanting trees that have been lost
What is Food security
The ability to produce enough food for the population
Biotic Factor
Living component
Abiotic Factor
Non-living factors that affect an ecosystem
Factors that affect food security
Increasing population
Increasing meat and dairy consumption
New pests or pathogens
Environmental challenges
Biofuels
Carbon cycle processes
Respiration, Photosynthesis, Decomposition, Combustion.
Nitrogen cycle
A process in which nitrogen moves from the atmosphere through living and dad organisms, into the soil and back to the atmosphere
Nitrogen fixing Bacteria
Nitrifying
Denitrifying
Decomposers
What is crop rotation
a different t crop is planted in the field in a 3/4 year cycle
This controls nitrate levels in the soils
What is manure, and its use
Mixture containing animal waste (and urea)
Added to soil, so it can be broken down by decomposers into ammonia, the ammonia is then broken down by Nitrifying bacteria, into nitrites, then nitrates
What is a nitrate
A compound that contains nitrogen in the form of a nitrate ion
What is nitrogen used to make
Amino acids —> proteins
Why can nitrogen itself not be used by plants
It is inert, so need the nitrogen to be converted to nitrates first
Why are proteins essential
For growth and repair, enzymes and hormones
What do Nitrogen fixing bacteria do
Convert nitrogen (N2) onto nitrates (NO3)
found free living in the soil, and in root nodules of roots of plants
What do nitrifying bacteria do
Ammonia (NH3) into nitrites (NO2) into nitrates (NO3)
What removes carbon from the atmosphere
Photosynthesis by plants
In photosynthesis, carbon starts as CO2, what does it end up as
Carbon dioxide + water —> Oxygen + Glucose
What process returns carbon to the atmosphere
Respiration and Combustion
During respiration, carbon stars as glucose, what does it end as
Oxygen + glucose —> Carbon dioxide
Glucose —> Carbon dioxide
