BIO - ECOLOGY Flashcards
What are the producers for the biomass on Earth?
Photosynthetic organisms
What happens to the number of prey and predators in a stable community?
rise and fall in cycles
D. Decomposer?
An organism that breaks down the waste of plants and animals
Carbon cycle?
returns carbon from organisms to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide to be used by plants in photosynthesis
E. Combustion?
fossil fuel or wood + oxygen –> carbon dioxide + water
Order of feeding relationship?
4
Producer
Primary consumer
Secondary consumer
Tertiary consumer
What do plants need to survive? (8)
- Light
- CO2
- Water
- Minerals
- Correct pH of the soil
- Correct temperature
- Correct humidity
- Space
What do animals need to survive? (6)
- Space
- Food
- Water
- Temperature
- Oxygen
- Mate m/f
Adaptations of dandelions? (5)
- Light fluffy parachutes on seeds to help dispersal and compete very successfully
- Deep taproot so it is hard to remove
- Regenerate very quickly
- Leaves aref close to the ground so it is hard to be eaten by an animal or mowed by a person
- Long flowering period so ensure fertilisation?
Why do plants spread their seeds?
So that the parent plant doesn’t compete with the seedlings for Light, space, water and mineral ions.
D. Community?
Populations of different species of animal, plants, fungi, Protista, bacteria and archaea that are all interdependent on a habitat.
D. Ecosystem?
Interaction of a community of living organisms with the non living (abiotic) parts of their environment.
Within any community, the different animals and plants are often…
Interdependent
What does interdependence mean?
When, in a community, each species depends on another species for food, pollination, shelter, seed dispersal etc. If one species is removed, the whole community is affected.
What is a stable community?
Where all the species and environmental factors are in balance so that population sizes stay roughly the same.
3 Examples of interactions between plants and animals in an ecosystem?
- Animals eat plants
- Animals pollinate plants
- Animals spread seeds through droppings
Abiotic factors affecting communities? (7)
- Light intensity
- Temperature
- Moisture levels
- Soil pH and mineral content
- Wind intensity and direction
- Carbon dioxide levels for plants
- Availability of oxygen for animals and aquatic animals
Biotic factors affecting communities? (4)
- availability of food
- new predators arriving
- new pathogens
- new competitors
D. Abiotic?
non living
D. Quadrat?
a sample area
What do animals compete for? (3)
food, territory and mates
What do plants compete for? (4)
light, space, water and mineral ions
Plants and animals both have adaptations to make them good….
competitors
D. Structural (physical) adaptations?
Adaptations you can see (inside and out) eg. shape/colour
D. Functional adaptations?
Adaptations of the body at a cellular level eg.metabolism
D. Behavioural adaptations?
How animals act eg. migration
D. Extremophile?
Organisms that survive and reproduce in the most difficult (extreme) conditions/environments with extreme pressure, temperature or salt. eg. water bears
Name 2 adaptations that an animal living in a hot place may have
- Kidneys produce very concentrated urine so they waste very little water
- Many have a very large SA:V ratio enabling them to keep cool
Adaptations of plants to prevent water loss?
Thick waxy cuticle
D. Biodiversity?
The measure of the variety of all species and organisms on Earth, or within a particular ecosystem
High biodiversity helps to ensure…
stability of an ecosystem by reducing the dependence of one species on another
Effects of fertiliser in the waterways?
- stimulates the growth of algae and water plants
- plants die because unable to photosynthesise
- means more microorganisms feed on dead pants
- less oxygen in water as microorganisms respire
- fish die
Why are peat bogs mainly destroyed?
- peat is burnt as fuel
- widely used by gardeners to improve soil quality
Peat is a large store of…
carbon
Ways of maintaining biodiversity? (4)
- breeding programs for endangered species
- protection and regeneration of rare habitats
- reintroduction of field margins and hedgerows
- reduction of deforestation
D. Trophic levels?
The position of organisms within a food chain
Trophic level 1
producers
Trophic level 2
primary consumers (herbivores)
Trophic level 3
secondary consumers ( carnivores who eat herbivores)
Trophic level 4
tertiary consumers ( carnivores who eat secondary consumers)
Apex predators?
predators with no predator
How do decomposers break down dead mass?
by secreting enzymes into the environment. small soluble food molecules then diffuse back into the microorganism down the conc gradient
How much of the biomass from each trophic level is transferred to the next one?
10%
Why do losses of biomass occur?
Because not all ingested material is absorbed, some excreted, some used in respiration, some lost as urine etc.
D. Incident energy?
light falling on Earth
Percentage of incident energy from light that is used by plants and algae for photosynthesis?
1%
