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bio Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

define community

A

a collection of various species that live within the same area

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2
Q

define ecosystem

A

all the living things and their surrounding physical environment

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3
Q

what are biotic things (examples)

A

all organisms, their remains, and their products or waste

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4
Q

what is a sustainable ecosystem? why is it important?

A

a sustainable ecosystem is an ecosystem that can maintain a relatively constant set of characteristics over a long period of time. they’re important because they last longer and they don’t need management by humans to maintain.

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5
Q

how have human impacted the sustainability of our ecosystem?

A

pollution, CO2 emissions and destroying habitats have lead to less sustainable ecosystems by the fault of humans

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6
Q

how does an artificial ecosystem differ from a natural one?

A

an artificial ecosystem is one created by humans and need management to maintain, while natural ecosystems are not created by humans and don’t need management.

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7
Q

which ecosystem is more sustainable: a cornfield or a natural forest? (explain)

A

a natural forest is more sustainable because it does not require management (not artificial) and will last longer than the cornfield.

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8
Q

what is the equation for photosynthesis?

A

CO2 (carbon dioxide) + H2O (water) ➡️ (light energy) ➡️C6 H12 O6 (sugar) + O2 (oxygen)

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9
Q

what is the equation for cellular respiration?

A

C6 H12 O6 (sugar) + O2 (oxygen) ➡️ CO2 (carbon dioxide) + H2O (water) + E (energy)

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10
Q

how are photosynthesis and cellular respiration complementary?

A

they are complementary because they are opposite from each other

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11
Q

what is the purpose of photosynthesis?

A

photosynthesis allows producers to convert the suns energy into chemical energy (useable energy)

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12
Q

what is a producer? what is a consumer?

A

a producer is an organism that photosynthesizes to make their own food. consumers are organisms that can’t photosynthesize, so obtain their energy by eating other organisms.

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13
Q

what is the purpose of cellular respiration?

A

cellular respiration gives CO2 + H2O for photosynthesis & gives energy

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14
Q

what is an ecological niche? + example

A

an ecological niche is the function a species serves in its ecosystem, including what it eats, what eats it, and how it behaves. an example is a beaver, which feeds on leaves and aquatic plants. bigger animals like bears eat them. they interact with their environment by building dams.

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15
Q

what is a herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, scavenger, and decomposer?

A

herbivore: organism that eats plants or other producers
carnivore: organism that eats other animals
omnivore: organism that eat both plants and animals
scavenger: organism that feeds on the remnants of another organism
decomposer: organism that breaks down nutrients

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16
Q

what is a tropic level? how much energy is passed on to each tropic level?

A

a tropic level is a feeding level used to describe the position of an organism along a food chain. 10% of the energy is passed onto each tropic level.

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17
Q

what is an owl pellet composed of? why do owls make them?

A

an owl pellet is composed of bones, hair, feathers, teeth and insect parts. they make them to regurgitate those items that cannot be digested.

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18
Q

what is a bio geochemical cycle?

A

the movement of matter through the biotic and abiotic environment

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19
Q

explain the carbon cycle + how do human activities change the carbon cycle?

A

the carbon cycle is the movement of carbon between the abiotic and biotic parts of the ecosystem, used photosynthesis to take in carbon, cellular respiration to release carbon. human activities include burning fossil fuels and deforestation, resulting in climate change.

20
Q

explain the nitrogen cycle + how do humans affect the nitrogen cycle?

A

the nitrogen cycle is the process of nitrogen in the air being converted into nitrates, which can be absorbed by plants and used to make proteins and plant matter. those nitrates are then returned back into the atmosphere by denitrifying bacteria. humans affect the nitrogen cycle by causing nitrogen overloads (ex. overuse fertilizer), which causes acid rain, which contains fossil fuel combinations.

21
Q

why should we make changes to address climate change (what are the consequences)

A

if we don’t change, sea levels will rise, more natural disasters will occur, more droughts, the amount of coral reefs (important ecosystems) will drop drastically and much more.

22
Q

describe one way you’ll reduce your own carbon emissions

A

i’ll throw away less food - this will include saving leftovers and composting food i don’t end up eating much more often.

23
Q

what is a limiting factor? give an example of a biotic and abiotic limiting factor

A

a limiting factor is any factor that restricts the size of a population (can be abiotic or biotic).
biotic example: interactions between individuals
abiotic example: temperature

24
Q

explain tolerance range and optimum range.

A

tolerance range: the acceptable range within which a species can survive
optimal range: the ideal/best range for a species to survive

25
Q

what are importante abiotic factors for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems?

A

terrestrial:
1. light
2. water
3. nutrients
4. temperature

aquatic:
1. light
2. nutrients
3. acidity
4. temperature
5. salinity

26
Q

explain these species interactions: competition, predation, mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism.

A

competition: 2 individuals fight for the same resource
predation: one individual feeds on another
mutualism: 2 individuals benefiting each other
parasitism: 1 individual lives on or feeds on a host
commensalism: 1 individual benefits and the other is not harmed but doesn’t benefit

27
Q

what is carrying capacity? how do human activities affect carrying capacity?

A

carrying capacity is the maximum population size of a particular species that a given ecosystem can sustain. humans could alter the carrying capacity by irrigating a desert to turn it into a lush ecosystem, or by killing wolves, which would increase the carrying capacity for moose.

28
Q

explain what an ecosystem being in equilibrium means

A

it means when an ecosystem maintains relatively constant biotic and abiotic conditions over time.

29
Q

what is the difference between primary and secondary succession & when would they occur?

A

primary succession: succession on newly exposed ground where no life previously existed (bare rock, volcanic rock)
secondary succession: follows a disturbance that disrupts but does not destroy the community (forest fire)

30
Q

explain what a climax community is

A

climax community: when secondary succession occurs in a series of stages which leads to a stable community in balance; very similar to the original community

31
Q

what is a pioneer organism?

A

the first organism to re-occupy an area in the process of succession.

32
Q

why is succession beneficial?

A

succession is beneficial because it allows ecosystems to maintain their long-term sustainability, recovering from disturbances.

33
Q

describe 1 service from natural ecosystems that you benefit from personally (hint: culturalal benefits)

A

i benefit from recreational cultural benefits. i hike and spend time in nature often.

34
Q

what is biodiversity and how is it measured?

A

biodiversity is the variety of life found in an area, often measured um by the number of species in a specific habitat or ecosystem.

35
Q

why is biodiversity important?

A

it is important because it increases the stability of an ecosystem, and increases the chance that some of the living things will survive in the face of large changes to the environment.

36
Q

what is species richness?

A

an ecosystem with many different species living in it.

37
Q

where in the world is biodiversity the greatest + why?

A

biodiversity is greatest in tropical rainforests because they are closest to the equator.

38
Q

name + explain the 5 different classifications for species at risk, in order from LEAST to MOST severe.

A
  1. species concern - species may become threatened or endangered because of many factors
  2. threatened - species likely to become endangered if factors are not changed
  3. endangered - species facing extripation or extinction
  4. extripation - no longer exists in that particular area.
  5. extinct - species no longer exists.
39
Q

what are the 5 main ways humans threaten biodiversity?

A

habitat change (habitat loss), over exploitation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change

40
Q

examples of over exploitation in canada? solutions?

A

overfishing, hunting, unsustainable poaching + harvesting. solutions include setting limits on the amount you’re allowed to hunt/fish & harvesting sustainably.

41
Q

what is an invasive species?

A

an invasive species is a non-native species whose intentional or accidental introduction negatively impacts the natural environment

42
Q

why would introducing new species to an area cause problems? what are some solutions?

A

the invasive species could potentially cause diseases and damage forests & crops. solutions would be to control the species with pesticides (chemically), mechanically, or biologically.

43
Q

what are the 4 different spheres of the earth?

A

the hydrosphere - consists of all the water on, above and below the earths surface
the biosphere - the region of the earth where life can be found, including the soil, water and air
the lithosphere - the rocky outer shell of the earth
the atmosphere - layer of gases that extends for more than 100 km

44
Q

what is the atmosphere made up of, why is it critical for life on earth?

A

made up of 78% N2, 21% O2, and less than 1% trace gases (Ar, H2O, CO2). critical to life on earth because it moderates surface temperatures, blocks incoming UV rays and contains O2.

45
Q

how are all 4 spheres of the earth interconnected?

A

the 4 spheres provide all living things with space, water and nutrients, which are things needed for them to survive.

46
Q

define population

A

a group of the same species that lives in the same place

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