Combined Biology - B7 Ecology Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
The interaction of a community of living organisms (biotic) with the non-living (abiotic) parts of the environment
What four things do plants compete for?
- Light
- Space
- Water
- Mineral ions
What is a community?
A group of animals and/or plants of different species
What are extremophiles? Give examples of conditions they might live in.
Organisms which live in extreme environments
e.g. high temperature, pressure or salt concentration
What is a population?
A group of animals or plants of the same species
What three things do animals compete for?
- Food
- Mates
- Territory/space
List three biotic factors which can affect a community.
Any three from:
- Availability of food
- New predators arriving
- New pathogens
- One species outcompeting another (so numbers are no longer sufficient to breed)
List three abiotic factors which can affect a community.
Any three from:
- Light intensity
- Temperature
- Moisture levels
- Soil pH and mineral content
- Wind intensity and direction
- CO2 levels for plants
- O2 levels of aquatic animals
Give two examples of producers
Plants and algae
What gases are contributing to global warming?
- Carbon dioxide
- Methane
- Water Vapour
Name three processes in the carbon cycle
Any three from:
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Decay
- Burning/combustion
- Carbon locked up in fossil fuels
- Animals eating plants and other animals
What are the reasons for people doing deforestation?
- To provide land for cattle and rice fields
- Growing crops for biofuels
Give two examples of factors that reduce biodiversity.
- Deforestation
- Global warming
Give three things that are in place to reduce the negative impact on biodiversity?
Any three from:
- Breeding programmes for endangered species
- Protection / regeneration of rare habitats
- Reintroduction of field margins
- Reduction of deforestation and CO2 emissions
- Recycling resources
What are the four main stages in the water cycle?
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Precipitation
- Transpiration
What is biodiversity?
The variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth.
What environmental problem does sulfur dioxide cause?
Acid rain
What environmental problem does soot/solid particulates cause?
Global dimming
Give an example of interdependence in a community.
Examples include:
Species depending on each other for:
- Food
- Shelter
- Pollination
- Seed dispersal
What are the three different types of adaptations?
- Structural
- Behavioural
- Functional
Give three ways humans have used land and, as a result, reduced biodiversity?
Any three from:
- Quarrying for metals
- Building
- Farming
- Deforestation
- Landfill sites
What environmental problem does carbon dioxide cause?
Global Warming
What is a stable community?
Population size remains fairly constant
(because the species and environmental factors are in balance)
Name the primary consumer in the food chain below:
Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle
Rabbit
Name the organisms that are responsible for decay.
Microorganisms
What are the two major impacts of a rapidly increasing human population?
- More resources used
- More waste produced
How does the destruction of peat bogs affect biodiversity?
Reduces biodiversity (because it removes habitat for the species that live there)
Peat can be used as a fuel. How does this impact the environment?
- Peat is burned
- Carbon dioxide is released
- Carbon dioxide causes global warming
How does decay contribute to global warming?
- Microorganisms are involved in decay.
- Microorganisms respire and release carbon dioxide
What are the three main categories of pollution?
- Water (sewage, fertilisers or toxic chemicals)
- Air (smoke and acidic gases)
- Land (landfill and toxic chemicals)
Explain how the destruction of peat bogs contributes to global warming.
- Peat is dug and removed or water is drained from the peat bog.
- Oxygen enters the peat bog.
- Microorganisms decay the plant material in the peat bog.
- Microorganisms respire and release carbon dioxide.
Name the secondary consumer in the food chain below:
Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle
Fox
Name the tertiary consumer in the food chain below:
Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle
Eagle
What do the arrows in the food chain represent?
Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle
The transfer of energy
Name the grid used to randomly sample organisms.
Quadrat
Name the sampling technique shown in the image.
Transect
Name the producer in the food chain below:
Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle
Grass
What are predators?
Consumers that hunt and kill other animals
What are prey?
Animals eaten by predators
Give three consequences of global warming.
Examples include:
- Change in species distribution
- Changes in rainfall patterns
- Flooding
- Droughts
- Sea level rise
- More frequent extreme weather events
What is a bog?
An area of land that is acidic and waterlogged
