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Biology GCSE > Chapter 7 - Ecology > Flashcards

Chapter 7 - Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the water cycle?

A

The movement of water in a large continuous loop from the sea through the air to land and back to the sea. It is a closed system.

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2
Q

What are the inputs/ways water get into the system?

A

Precipitation e.g. rain, hail, sleet, snow

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3
Q

What are the outputs/ways water can leave the system?

A
  • Evaporation
  • Transpiration
  • Evapotranspiration = general term for evaporation and transpiration together
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4
Q

What processes are involved with the water that isn’t in the system?

A
  • Condensation

- Vapour transport

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5
Q

What are transfer/flows of water?

A

Mechanisms that allow water to move from one place to another

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6
Q

What are the 3 transfer/flows?

A
  • Percolation = water flows horizontally through soil and rocks under influence of gravity
  • Run-off = water moving across land
  • Groundwater = water held underground or in crevices of rocks
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7
Q

What affects the rate of decay?

A
  • Temperature (optimum for enzymes)
  • Oxygen (respiration by decomposers)
  • Water (lack=slow decay)
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8
Q

What are detritivores?

A 
Organisms that feed on dead animal/plant amtter. As they feed, they break down matter and increase SA for decomposers
Examples:
-Maggots
-Earthworms
-Woodlice
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9
Q

What do dead organisms break down into when they decay?

A

Minerals and carbon dioxide

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10
Q

How is biogas produced?

A

The anaerobic decay of waste material - involves anaerobic bacteria

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11
Q

What is biogas made up of?

A
  • Methane
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Water vapour
  • Small amounts of other gases
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12
Q

Where is biogas produced?

A
  • naturally in marshes, septic tanks and sewers

- generators (large tanks) are used for biogas production

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13
Q

What processes are involved in the carbon cycle?

A
  • Respiration
  • Photosynthesis
  • Decomposition
  • Combustion
  • Fossilisation
  • Food chains
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14
Q

What is a sink of carbon?

A

Things that store carbon

e.g. fossils, plant matter

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15
Q

What is a source of carbon?

A

Things that release carbon

e.g. decomposed organic matter, respiration, fossils when used as fossil fuels

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16
Q

What are trigger agents?

A

Things that trigger the sources

17
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

The variety of different organisms on earth or within an ecosystem

18
Q

Factors that affect biodiversity are:

A
  • Temperature
  • Altitude
  • Precipitation
  • Soil
  • Presence of other species
19
Q

Why is biodiversity important?

A

Ensures stability of ecosystems by reducing the dependence of one species on another for for food, shelter and the maintenance of physical environment

20
Q

What human activities reduce biodiversity?

A
  • Deforestation
  • Hunting
  • Pollution
  • Eutrophication (excess nutrients in lakes/rivers due to use of pesticides/fertilisers)
  • Collection of species for zoos and research
21
Q

What are the four air pollutants?

A
  • Smoke
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Sulfur dioxide
22
Q

How is acid rain formed?

A

Many hydrocarbons contain sulfur impurities and when combusted the sulfur oxidises to form sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide dissolves in water in the clouds to form acid rain.

23
Q

What are the effects of acid rain?

A
  • Weakens and damages buildings and statues
  • Makes rivers too acidic for some aquatic life
  • Damages waxy layer on leaves
24
Q

How is smog formed?

A

Nitrogen oxides are atmospheric pollutants that can react with other substances to form harmful smog

25
Q

Examples of land pollution

A
  • Sewage
  • Landfill
  • Nuclear and toxic waste
  • Litter
26
Q

What is water pollution?

A 
Caused by the release of harmful substances into bodies of water
Examples:
-Sewage
-Pesticides and herbicides
-Fertilisers
-Plastics
27
Q

What is eutrophication?

A
  1. Nitrogen and phosphate fertiliser used to help crops grow
  2. Rain causes some fertiliser to run off to a body of water
  3. This increases nitrogen and phosphate levels in the water
  4. Causes algae to bloom
  5. Algae covers the surface causing plants and animals to die

Biology GCSE (9 decks)

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