Combined Biology - B7 Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

The interaction of a community of living organisms (biotic) with the non-living (abiotic) parts of the environment

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2
Q

What four things do plants compete for?

A
  1. Light
  2. Space
  3. Water
  4. Mineral ions
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3
Q

What is a community?

A

A group of animals and/or plants of different species

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4
Q

What are extremophiles? Give examples of conditions they might live in.

A

Organisms which live in extreme environments

e.g. high temperature, pressure or salt concentration

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5
Q

What is a population?

A

A group of animals or plants of the same species

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6
Q

What three things do animals compete for?

A
  1. Food
  2. Mates
  3. Territory/space
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7
Q

List three biotic factors which can affect a community.

A

Any three from:

  • Availability of food
  • New predators arriving
  • New pathogens
  • One species outcompeting another (so numbers are no longer sufficient to breed)
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8
Q

List three abiotic factors which can affect a community.

A

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
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9
Q

Give two examples of producers

A

Plants and algae

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10
Q

What gases are contributing to global warming?

A
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Methane
  • Water Vapour
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11
Q

Name three processes in the carbon cycle

A

Any three from:

  • Photosynthesis
  • Respiration
  • Decay
  • Burning/combustion
  • Carbon locked up in fossil fuels
  • Animals eating plants and other animals
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12
Q

What are the reasons for people doing deforestation?

A
  • To provide land for cattle and rice fields
  • Growing crops for biofuels
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13
Q

Give two examples of factors that reduce biodiversity.

A
  • Deforestation
  • Global warming
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14
Q

Give three things that are in place to reduce the negative impact on biodiversity?

A

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
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15
Q

What are the four main stages in the water cycle?

A
  • Evaporation
  • Condensation
  • Precipitation
  • Transpiration
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16
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

The variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth.

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17
Q

What environmental problem does sulfur dioxide cause?

A

Acid rain

18
Q

What environmental problem does soot/solid particulates cause?

A

Global dimming

19
Q

Give an example of interdependence in a community.

A

Examples include:

Species depending on each other for:

  • Food
  • Shelter
  • Pollination
  • Seed dispersal
20
Q

What are the three different types of adaptations?

A
  • Structural
  • Behavioural
  • Functional
21
Q

Give three ways humans have used land and, as a result, reduced biodiversity?

A

Any three from:

  • Quarrying for metals
  • Building
  • Farming
  • Deforestation
  • Landfill sites
22
Q

What environmental problem does carbon dioxide cause?

A

Global Warming

23
Q

What is a stable community?

A

Population size remains fairly constant

(because the species and environmental factors are in balance)

24
Q

Name the primary consumer in the food chain below:

Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle

A

Rabbit

25
Q

Name the organisms that are responsible for decay.

A

Microorganisms

26
Q

What are the two major impacts of a rapidly increasing human population?

A
  • More resources used
  • More waste produced
27
Q

How does the destruction of peat bogs affect biodiversity?

A

Reduces biodiversity (because it removes habitat for the species that live there)

28
Q

Peat can be used as a fuel. How does this impact the environment?

A
  • Peat is burned
  • Carbon dioxide is released
  • Carbon dioxide causes global warming
29
Q

How does decay contribute to global warming?

A
  • Microorganisms are involved in decay.
  • Microorganisms respire and release carbon dioxide
30
Q

What are the three main categories of pollution?

A
  • Water (sewage, fertilisers or toxic chemicals)
  • Air (smoke and acidic gases)
  • Land (landfill and toxic chemicals)
31
Q

Explain how the destruction of peat bogs contributes to global warming.

A
  • 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.
32
Q

Name the secondary consumer in the food chain below:

Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle

A

Fox

33
Q

Name the tertiary consumer in the food chain below:

Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle

A

Eagle

34
Q

What do the arrows in the food chain represent?

Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle

A

The transfer of energy

35
Q

Name the grid used to randomly sample organisms.

A

Quadrat

36
Q

Name the sampling technique shown in the image.

A

Transect

37
Q

Name the producer in the food chain below:

Grass -> Rabbit -> Fox -> Eagle

A

Grass

38
Q

What are predators?

A

Consumers that hunt and kill other animals

39
Q

What are prey?

A

Animals eaten by predators

40
Q

Give three consequences of global warming.

A

Examples include:

  • Change in species distribution
  • Changes in rainfall patterns
  • Flooding
  • Droughts
  • Sea level rise
  • More frequent extreme weather events
41
Q

What is a bog?

A

An area of land that is acidic and waterlogged