ECOLOGY Flashcards
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: Define the term species.
Species are groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: Can members of the same species be dispersed in different populations?
Members of a species may be reproductively isolated in separate populations
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: What is the term to define “populations of different species living together and interacting with each other”?
A community
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: Define abiotic and biotic factors.
Abiotic factor definition, a nonliving condition or thing, as climate or habitat
A biotic factor is a living organism that shapes its environment.
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: What is an ecosystem?
A community forms an ecosystem by its interactions with the abiotic environment
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: Define autotrophic species and give an example of one.
Autotrophs obtain inorganic nutrients from the abiotic environment
Ex: Algae, plankton, seaweed
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: Define heterotrophic species and name one.
Consumers are heterotrophs that feed on living organisms by ingestion
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: How do detritivores obtain organic nutrients?
Detritivores are heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from detritus by internal digestion
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: Heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion are …….
Saprotrophs
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: How does nutrient cycling work?
https://ib.bioninja.com.au/_Media/nutrient-cycling_med.jpeg
The nutrient cycle is a system where energy and matter are transferred between living organisms and non-living parts of the environment.
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding: Define sustainability.
Sustainability refers to the ability of a system or process to continue indefinitely.
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Understanding:Which process allows ecosystems to be sustainable over long periods of time?
Nutrient cycle
Waste products of species should be detoxified and used by others
Energy must be available, usually from the sun or
heat
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Skills: Are these animals consumers or producers? What do they consume?
https://ib.bioninja.com.au/_Media/consumer_med.jpeg
Consumers
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Skills: Name three factors that can affect the sustainability of a mesocosm
Light availability, Types and populations of producer species, types and populations of consumer species
4.1 Species, communities and ecosystems
Skills: What is the chi-squared test?
The Chi-square test is a statistical test used to compare observed results with expected results.
4.2 Energy Flow
Understanding: An organism that can make its own food is called?
A producer
4.2 Energy Flow
Application: What percentage of energy is passed on to each tropic level?
10%
4.2 Energy flow
Application: What is this diagram called
https://www.guyhowto.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/93_1-Ecological-Pyramids.jpg
An energy pyramid
4.2 Energy flow
Skills: A consumer gets energy by doing what?
Feeding on other organisms
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: What converts carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and other carbon compounds?
Autotrophs
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: In what type of ecosystem is carbon present as dissolved carbon dioxide and hydrogen carbonate ions
In aquatic ecosystems
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: Carbon dioxide diffuses from the atmosphere or water into …………
Autotrophs
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: Carbon dioxide is produced by ………. and diffuses out of organisms into water or the atmosphere
Respiration
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: What does organic matter in anaerobic conditions by methanogenic archaeans create?
Methane
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: Methane is oxidized to ………. and water in the………..
Methane is oxidised to carbon dioxide and water in the atmosphere
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: Why is Peat formed when organic matter is not fully decomposed?
Peat forms when organic matter is not fully decomposed because of acidic and/or anaerobic conditions in waterlogged soils
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: What happens to Partially decomposed organic matter from past geological eras
They are either converted to coal or into oil and gas that accumulates in rocks
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: What substance is produced by the combustion of biomass and fossilised organic matter
Carbon dioxide
4.3 Carbon cycling
Understanding: Animals such as reef-building corals and mollusca have hard parts that are composed of calcium carbonate and can become fossilized in ……… ?
Limestone
4.3 Carbon cycling
Skill: Construct a diagram of the carbon cycle
https://www.sciencefacts.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Carbon-Cycle-Diagram.jpg
4.3 Carbon cycling
Application: What are the 3 main carbon sinks
Plants, the ocean and soil.
4.3 Carbon cycling
Application: What are annual fluctuations in terms of carbon fluxes?
The annual fluctuations in CO2 levels are caused by changes in rates of photosynthesis. During winter months, rates decrease which causes the atmospheric levels to increase and vice versa in summer.
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: What are greenhouse gasses?
Greenhouse gases are those that absorb long wave radiation and
re-emit it as heat energy.
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: List the four major greenhouse gases and their sources.
- Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through cell respiration and by combustion. It is removed by photosynthesis.
- Water vapor is added to the atmosphere through evaporation. It is removed as condensation (rain, snow, hail, etc.)
- Methane is emitted from: Waterlogged habitats, Landfills, Fossil fuel extraction, Melting polar ice
- Nitrous oxides are released by: Bacteria in some habitats, Agriculture, Vehicle exhausts
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: What does the impact of a greenhouse gas depend on?
Its ability to absorb long wave radiation
Its concentration in the atmosphere
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: Outline the greenhouse effect.
The ability of greenhouse gases to absorb longwave radiation has the overall effect of retaining heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. This effect is known as the greenhouse effect.
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: True or False. Climate change is affected by Greenhouse gasses.
True
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: What is global warming? What is the cause of it?
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil and gas), which produces heat-trapping gases.
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: Compare longer wave and shorter wave radiation.
Longer wave radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases which retains the heat in the atmosphere.
The Earth’s surface absorbs short-wave radiation (UV) from the sun and re-emits it as longer wavelength, mostly infrared.
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: Identify the types of radiation absorbed and emitted by the Earth’s surface.
The Earth’s surface absorbs short-wave radiation (UV) from the sun and re-emits it as longer wavelength, mostly infrared.
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: Describe the effects of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
if the concentration of gases increases, it follows that overall temperatures will increase as well.
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: Outline correlations between atmospheric CO2 levels and global temperatures.
When there’s more CO2 in the atmosphere, it makes the atmosphere warmer by trapping heat. Since humans are adding more CO2 to the atmosphere, that helps explain why temperatures are increasing around the world.
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: Describe the effect of the Industrial Revolution on atmospheric CO2 levels.
There is a correlation between rising atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide since the start of the industrial revolution 200 years ago and average global temperatures.
4.4 Climate Change
Understanding: What are the more recent increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide due to?
During the 19th century, the combustion of oil, natural gas and coal become more widespread. Increases in fossil fuel combustion were most rapid from the 1950’s onwards, resulting in a steep rise in CO2.
4.4 Climate Change
Applications: Evaluate claims that human activities are not causing climate change.
Despite strong correlations being observed, many claim that human activities are not causing climate change. Many such arguments use outlying years as evidence and ignore natural fluctuations on temp.
their actions are, the excess use of fossil fuels etc…
4.4 Climate Change
Applications: Describe correlations between global temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations on Earth.
When the carbon dioxide concentration goes up, temperature goes up. When the carbon dioxide concentration goes down, temperature goes down.
4.4 Climate Change
Application: Describe the effects of CO 2 levels on coral reefs.
Coral reefs are very sensitive to water temperature and increased CO2 levels cause temperatures to rise.
More CO2 decreases the water’s ph when it is dissolved
Because of increased temperatures, there could be melted sea ice which can change sea levels
