CHAPTER 16 Flashcards
definition of communities
the populations of different species living in a habitat
definition of a habitat
where an organism lives
definition of a population
all the organisms of one species living in a habitat
definition of abiotic factors
non living factors of the environment eg soil
definition of biotic factors
living factors of the environment eg food
definition of ecosystem
the interaction of a community of abiotic factors with the biotic parts of the environment
what is the main source of energy transferred through ecosystem
the sun
3 examples of interdependence
plants produce food by photosynthesis
animals eat plants
animals pollinate plants
definition of interdependence
how other species rely on each other for survival
what is a stable community
an ecosystem with large biodiversity
example of a stable community
a tropical rainforests
examples of a place with low biodiversity
the arctic
characteristics of a stable community 2
complex food webs
less prone to changes
characteristics of a place with low biodiversity
harsh conditions
simple food chains
vulnerable to change
8 examples of abiotic factors affecting communities
wind intensity moisture levels soil pH light intensity temperature oxygen conc co2 conc air pollution
how does wind intensity affect a community
strong winds = high transpiration rate = more water lost = unhealthy plant
2 ways in which organisms compete
plants compete for light nutrients and space to grow
animals compete for space mates and nutrition
how can moisture levels affect a community
with little water, there will be little or no life
how can soil pH affect a community
impact rate of decay and release of mineral ions
how can co2 concentration affect a community
limiting factor of photosynthesis
how can pollution affect a community
lichen cant grow
how can o2 concentration affect a community
hughe impact on marine organisms , fish need lots of oxygen
how can temperature affect a community
limting factor in photosynthesis melting artic ice
how can light intensity affect a community
limiting factor for photosynthesis
6 biotic changes that can affect a community
new pathogen new predator competition new species loss of predator food availability
how can a new pathogen impact a community
organisms have no resistance so can die out
how can completion impact a community
a new species may outcompete for food
how can food availability impact a community
animals struggle to survive and breed
how can loss of a predator impact a community
number of other species spiral out of control
how can a new predator impact a community
organisms that have no defences will be quickly wiped out
how can a new species impact a community
new parasites
new competition
3 examples of what animals compete for
food territory mates
why are animals that eat a wide range of food more likely to be successful
if one food source dies out, they have many others
why will animals compete for territory
they are often unable to reproduce successfully if they dont have it
why do animals need a territory
so they can breed and reproduce then ensure their young can find uncompleted food
how can animals compete for a mate 2
males will fight between themselves they will display themselves
to try and strand out
what makes a successful competitor 3
it needs to be better at finding food than other members of its species
must be able to breed successfully or they compete with other animals as little as possible
what do plants need to survive 5
light co2 water oxygen mineral ions
what is an adaptation
it allows an animal to survive in their habitat
what is an extremophile
an animal that is adapted to live in a very harsh environemyn q
how are extremophiles adapted to live at high temperatures
they have special enzymes that dont denature at these high temperatures
how are extremophiles adapted to live in very salty places
their cytoplasm is adapted so water doesnt move out of their cells and into their environment by photosynthesis
how are sea birds adapted to live by the sea
they cry salty tears to get rid of extra salt
how are lilies adapted
they have big air spaces in their leaves so they float on top of the water and can photosynthesise
how are animals / plants that live in freezing environments adapted
they produce a special antifreeze that stops the water in cells freezing
how are herbivores adapted
they have special teeth for grinding up plant cells
how are carnivores adapted
their teeth are adapted to tear flesh and bones
how are normal plants adapted
roots allow them to get water and nutrients
how is the saguaro adapted for pollination 4
they rely on bats for pollination
flowers open at night
strong scent to guide bats
flowers on top of cactus for easy feeding
what are the three types of adaptation
structural
behavioural
functional
what are the structural adaptation
features of an organisms body structure
how are arctic foxed structurally adapted
white fur for camoflagued
how are whales structurally adapted 2
thick layer of bubbler
low salvo ratio to retain heat
how are camels adapted 2
thin layer of fat and large sa:v ratio to help lose heat
what are behavioural adaptations
they ways an animal behaves
how are swallows behaviourally adapted
they migrate to warmer climates during the winter what are functional adaptations
what are functional adaptations
things that happen in an organisms body that can be related to processes like metabolism or reproduction
how are desert animals functionally adapted
conserve water by very little sweat and small amounts of concentrated urine
how are brown bears functionally adapted
they hibernate over winter and lower metabolism to conserve energy when there isn’t much food available
how are animals in cold climates adapted 3
small sa v ratio
plenty of insulation in the form of blubber
thick fur coat
how does camoflague work
the colour of the coat of the animal matches the surrounding so they dont stand out
what are the 2 biggest challenges of an animal in the desert
lack of water stopping body temperature getting too high or low
function of stomata
open to release gas in photosynthesis
how are cacti adapted to store water
the main body is a stem where they store lots of water r
when it rains they conserve this to use later
how can roots be adapted to collect water
in hot conditions the roots are wide and deep
this means they can absorb the maximum amount of water possible
why do leaves try to reduce their surface area
so less water is lost when the stomata open for photosynthesis
what are the 4 things plant compete for
light
water
space
minerals
why do plants compete for light
to make food via photosynthesis
why do plants compete for water 2
to keep cells turgid
photosynthesis
why do plants compete for space
so they can get light water and minerals
why do plants compete for nutrients
so their cells can make the chemicals they need
why does a plant need to reproduce successfully
avoid competition
ways of distributing seeds 4
wind
animal fur
explosive pods
water
why is it good if a plant can distribute its seeds
so they can grow without competition form its own species
parent plants will absorb the nutrients so seedlings cant grow
why do plants like daffodils flower early in year 3
the branches of the tees are bare so they can get sunlight
the dead tree doesnt take up much water
the leaves that are shed decompose and add to the minerals in the soil
how do plants adapt their roots
if their competitors have shallow roots, they will have ones that reach deep underground and vice versa
why do plants compete
they are often surrounded by tall trees that block sunlight absorb all water and minerals and take up space
how is ivy adapted
it can climb up tall trees to reach sunlight
what is the distribution of an organism
where it is found
what is a quadrat
a square frame enclosing a known area
what is the abundance of an organism
the population size
how must you choose your quadratic sample size
at random
why must you choose your quadratic size at random 2
so it reflects the true distribution of organisms
so results are valid
what is quantitive sampling and data
dealing with numbers
how to set up a transect
stretch a tape between two points
how to work out the percentage of the area of a quadratic covered by an organism
count the little square where the organisms cover over half
divide by total number of squares
x100
what is a transect
a line around which we measure the number of organisms
what is a producer
something that produces its own food using energy form the sun
green plants or algae
what is the biomass of a plant
the energy stores in a plant
order of basic food chain
producer - primary consumer - secondary consumer - tertiary consumer
how is energy transferred through an ecosystem
when organisms eat each other
what is the population of a species usually limited by
the food available
what are predator prey cycles always out of phase with each other
it takes a while for the population to respond to the changes
what normally happens when the population of prey increases
the population of the predator does too
what normally happens when the population of predators increase
the number of prey decrease
