Ecology

Question 1

Ecology

Answer 1

The study of relationships between living organisms and between them and their environment

Question 2

Species

Answer 2

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring e.g. Homo sapiens (humans), Canis familiaris (dogs), Nestor notabilis (kea), Agatha australis (kauri tree)

Question 3

Population

Answer 3

A group of organisms of the same species who live in the same area at the same time and are capable of interbreeding e.g all kea in Arthur’s Pass NP

Question 4

Community

Answer 4

A group of populations living and interacting with each other in a habitat e.g. all the plants and animals in Arthur’s Pass National Park

Question 5

Ecosystem

Answer 5

A community and its abiotic (non-biological) environment. Ecosystems have the potential to be sustainable over long periods of time.

e.g all the plants and animals and the physical environment in the Amazon rainforest.

Question 6

Biomes

Answer 6

Are regions of the world with similar climate (weather, temperature) animals and plants

E.g tropical rainforest biome, arctic tundra biome, desert biome

Question 7

Biosphere

Answer 7

A total of all areas where living things are found; including the deep ocean and the lower part of the atmosphere. The biosphere is a relatively thin layer associated with the surface of the Earth.

Question 8

Environment

Answer 8

the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors that affect organisms

Question 9

Abiotic factors

Answer 9

physical factors (non-living) environment e.g. light, wind, humidity, temperature, soil type, salinity, carbon dioxide levels, wave action, daylength

Question 10

Biotic factors

Answer 10

The living environment

e.g. food supply, parasites, predators, competition, human influence, disease

Question 11

Habitat

Answer 11

The environment in which individuals of a certain species can usually be found. The place where an organism lives

e.g. woodlice live under damp rotting wood, oysters live on rocky seashores

Question 12

A species is made up of organisms that:

Answer 12

• possess similar physiological, morphological and behavioural characteristics
• have the ability to interbreed to produce fertile offspring
• are genetically distinct from one another
• have a common phylogeny (evolutionary history)

Question 13

The concept of a species being able to interbreed cannot apply to:

Answer 13

Extinct populations

• this is unknown. Extinct forms must usually be classified on morphological grounds.

Asexually reproducing organisms

• do not breed with each other and so are assigned to species on the basis of appearance or biochemical similarities

Question 14

Hybrids

Answer 14

Organisms that are combined from two different species.

• Usually infertile e.g. mules, liger
• Sometimes they are not e.g. American. red wolf, wolphin, Homo sapiens and Neanderthals
• Plant species hybridise more readily than animal species and the. resulting hybrids are more often fertile hybrids e.g. loganberry, grapefruit

Question 15

Autotroph = producer

Answer 15

Organisms that synthesize their organic molecules from simple inorganic substances using light/photosynthesis (Photoautotrophy) or chemical energy (Chemoautotrophy). Inorganic substances are obtained from the abiotic environment and include CO2 and nitrates. Autotrophs are producers. Examples are algae and grass.

Question 16

Producer

Answer 16

Plants and other photosynthetic organisms

Question 17

Heterotrophs

Answer 17

Organisms that obtain organic molecules from other organisms. They feed on living organisms by ingestion. Heterotrophs are consumers. Examples are cows, mice, and whales.

Question 18

Consumers

Answer 18

Ingest organic matter which is living or recently killed

Question 19

Primary Consumers

Answer 19

Species that eat producers - herbivores

Question 20

Secondary Consumers

Answer 20

Species that eat primary consumers - carnivores omnivores

Question 21

Tertiary Consumers

Answer 21

Species that eat secondary consumers

Question 22

Decomposer

Answer 22

Are heterotrophic organisms that derive energy from non-living matter. There are two main types of decomposers: detritivores and saprotrophs. Decomposers are not only a source of energy to other heterotrophs but are important in cycling inorganic chemicals e.g. nitrogen, phosphorus

Question 23

Detritivores

Answer 23

Are heterotrophs (consumers) that obtain organic nutrients from detritus (non-living organic matter, dead plant and animals including faeces) by internal digestion (have a mouth) i.e by eating it. They are important decomposers in ecosystem as they often eaten by consumers. For example earthworms, slugs, dung flies, dung beetles, fiddler crabs, maggots.

Question 24

Saprotroph

Answer 24

A heterotroph that obtains organic nutrients from dead organisms/non-living matter by external digestion i.e by secreting digestive enzymes into it and then absorbing the organic compounds. E.g. saprotrophic bacteria, fungi, and protozoa

Question 25

Scavengers

Answer 25

Special group of consumers. They are not considered decomposers. They tend not to kill prey but eat material that other species have killed e.g. vultures, hyenas

Question 26

Nutrient cycles

Answer 26

The Earth does not receive nor send out matter on a regular basis. This means that nutrients must be cycled through ecosystems. The process of cycling nutrients requires energy. Some important nutrients that are cycled through the ecosystem are: carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus

Question 27

Nitrogen cycle

Answer 27

The process by which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms. Nitrogen is necessary for all known forms of life on Earth. It is an important element in amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids (search for picture or look in book)

Question 28

The Carbon Cycle

Answer 28

The amount of carbon on Earth and in Earth’s atmosphere is fixed, but that fixed amount of carbon is dynamic, always changing into different carbon compounds and moving between living and nonliving things.

Will need to know how to draw the carbon cycle

Look at the back page in book

Question 29

Mesocosms

Answer 29

Mesocosms are enclosed environments that allow a small part of a natural environment to be observed under controlled conditions. They are model mini ecosystems that seek to show that ecosystems have the potential to be sustainable over long periods of time. They provide a link between observational field studies that take place in natural environments, but without replication, and controlled laboratory experiments that make take place under somewhat unnatural conditions.

Question 30

How to set up Mesocosms

Answer 30

Mesocosms can be set up in open tanks but sealed glass vessels are preferable. Some examples of simple mesocosms are aquariums and terrariums (can be terrestrial or aquatic. Ideally once the system is self-sustaining all that enters is light and all that leaves is heat. Respiration generates H2O and CO2.

Question 31

Examples of experiments using mesocosms

Answer 31

Testing the effects of climate warming on CO2 concentration on shallow ponds

Testing the effect of chemicals on plant and soil health.

Question 32

Scientific names

Answer 32

• Each species is given two names (genus and species)
• Each species is classified on the basis of their physical features and given two names
• The scientific name must be written in italics or underlined
• Genus is capital letter, species is lowercase

Question 33

Sub-species

Answer 33

geographically distinct groups of the same species that have unique features or traits that are different, but not enough to warrant placement in a different species. They are usually capable of interbreeding but seldom do. e.g Wolf and dog, White flippered penguin and blue penguin

Question 34

Organisms are classified because:

Answer 34

• 1,500,000 different species can be organised into groups
• new species can be identified
• evolutionary links can be made
• characteristics of organisms can be predicted (except those that are exctinct.

Question 35

Taxonomy

Answer 35

The science/system of classifying organisms, These ranked groups are called the hierachy of taxa.

Question 36

The 8 main taxa to classify organisms are:

Answer 36

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Question 37

How are organisms classified

Answer 37

• Structural, behavioural and physiological features
• DNA analysis
• Sometimes species are reclassified when new evidence shows that a previous taxon contains species that have evolved from different ancestral species.
• Genus and accompanying higher taxa consist of all the species that have. evolved from one common ancestral species

Question 38

What are the Three Domains and how are they classified

Answer 38

• All organisms are classified into 3 domains showing. the fundamentally different cell types
• DNA analysis showed distinct differences between the groups, their relatedness, and their evolutionary history
• Archaens, Bacteria, and Eukaryotes.

Question 39

Archaens and Bacteria

Answer 39

Prokaryotic cells with no membrane bound organelles i.e. no nucleus

Archaea are found in extreme environments (hot, salty, acidic)

Question 40

Eukaryotes

Answer 40

Complex cells with membrane bound organelles

Question 41

The Four Eukaryotic Kingdoms

Answer 41

1. Protista
2. Fungi
3. Plantae
4. Animalia

Question 42

Protista

Answer 42

Unicellular, (some multicellular), eukaryotic cells (have membrane bound organelles with nucleus and chromosomes) May be auto or heterotrophic, live in water (marine/aquatic)

E.g. euglena, paramecium, amoeba

Question 43

Fungi

Answer 43

Eukaryotic filamentous or unicellular, heterotrophic, extracellular digestion, cell walls made of chitin

E.g. yeast, mushrooms