Ecology Flashcards
Biodiversity definition
The variety of all different species of organisms on Earth or within an ecosystem
Why is high diversity so important?
It leads to a stable ecosystem due to different species depending on each other.
ways humans reduce land space for animals and plants
- developing land
- mining
- agriculture and farming
- pollution and landfill
what are peatbogs
acidic, water logged areas of land, plants do not fully decay due to lack of oxygen. they are a massive store of carbon dioxide.
what happens when peat bogs are destroyed?
they store carbon dioxide, so when destroyed, massive amounts of carbon dioxide is released into the environment.
what is deforestation
cutting down trees, done on a large scale to provide land for cattle and rice fields.
global warming definition
the increase in average temperature over the last century.
why have levels of co2 increased
- combustion of fossil fuels which releases co2 which has previously been locked up
- deforestation - which removes photosynthesising biomass
methane is produced when
- decomposers break down dead animal remains
- microbes in primary consumers digest food that has been eaten
methane levels have increased due to
- extraction of fossil fuels
- decaying waste increase
- increase in cattle
- natural frozen stores thawed (rising temps)
explain bioaccumulation
- small amounts of pollution from human activity is absorbed by plants
- these plants are then eaten by primary consumers in low concentrations. the toxins cannot be excreted so when the primary consumers are eaten by the secondary consumers, the toxins are absorbed by secondary consumers
- this repeats through the food chain
- the toxins remain in the tissue of the animals of each trophic level of the food , animals at the top accumulate the most toxins
what are bioindicators
pollution levels in water can be measured in many ways. oxygen and PH levels are measured using instruments.
water can be analysed to show levels of polluting chemicals such as pesticides or industrial waste.
Give an example of indicator species
salmon will only be found in very clean water, so they are used to monitor pollution levels in water ways.
on the other hand bloodworms will only be found in very polluted water.
what does abundance mean
very large numbers of organisms
what does distribution mean
the way in which organisms are spread out in an area
explain what seasonal change is
Seasonal changes in precipitation and temperature affect soil moisture, evaporation rates, river flows, lake levels, and snow cover. Leaves fall and plants wither as cold and dry seasons approach. These changes in vegetation affect the type and amount of food available for humans and other organisms.
what is smog
smog forms a haze of small particles and acidic gases that can be seen in the air over a major cities around the world.
how do humans maintain biodiversity
- breeding programs
- protection and regeneration of rare animals
- reintroduction of field margins and head rows
- reduction of deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions
- recycling materials
explain how biodiversity in maintained through breeding programs for endangered species
- increase the numbers of endangered species
- can do this through captive and artificial breeding program in zoos
- need to avoid inbreeding, due to it causing immune issues
explain how biodiversity is maintained through protection and regeneration of rare habitats
- due to deforestation & climate change, habitats may have been lost
- meaning animals may have lost habitats
- protection of habitats has increase through laws and regulations and re-establish them
- possibly educate locals to help protect them.
explain how biodiversity is maintained through reintroduction of field and hedgerows
- in many agricultural areas farmers removed hedgerows to produce huge fields
- hedge rows are a massive source of food and habitat for living organisms
- they also reduce soil erosion, support pollinators, reduce windspeed and water loss, biological pest control, natural flood barriers, store co2 helps to reduce climate change
how is biodiversity maintained through reduction of deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions
- some governments are beginning to recognise the damage of deforestation and how it increases co2 emissions, so introducing deforestation laws to help reduce co2.
why is it efficient to have a shorter food chain?
there is fewer trophic levels in a shorter food chain.
in a longer one, the increased amount of trophic levels means there is more times when biomass can be lost.
what is meant by food security
a whole population has access to enough nutrient food from a sustainable source to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
biological factors that can affect food security
- increased birth rate
- changing diets
- new pests and pathogens
- flooding
- drought
- increased costs
- war and conflicts
how can an increased birth rate effect food security
some of the countries with the highest birth rates are found across the African continent. the increase in birth rate means that there is an increased population size to feed. more food is required and so food supplies may be reduced or not replenished quickly enough
how was changing diet effected food security
as more countries become developed and the populations become wealthier, the demand for intensive food products such as meat and diary products will increase.
how has drought, flooding, and famine effected food security
an increased amount of global warming and climate change, can also lead to an increased incidences of adverse and extreme weather. unanticipated and prolonged periods of drought and flooding lead to loss of crops and the famine.
how is biodiversity maintained through recycling resources
- waste placed in landfill affects biodiversity by using land and producing pollution
- toxins leak into the ground and waterways cause bioaccumilation
- less landfill means more habitats and food which then means more biodiversity
- globally countries are now working to recycle as much waste as possible
what is mycoprotein
Mycoprotein is a form of single-cell protein, also known as fungal protein, derived from fungi for human consumption.
mycoprotein fermenter
the fermenter has a specific conditions for maximizing growth of the fungus
how is the mycoprotein fementer regulated
- PH and temp are always monitored to be optimum
- a water jacket controls the temp
- sterile oxygen is input to ensure fungi can respire aerobically
- a food source, often glucose, is used to provide nutrients
- the contents are stirred to distribute temp, oxygen, nutrients and fungus
what are genetically modified plants
genetic modification uses tec to trasnfer genes from one species to another
it can be used to improve food production
mycoprotein advantages
fementers can be used in areas where land is infertile and crops or where livestock doesn’t survive, this means that a source of protein can be made more available where traditional agriculture cannot
mycoprotein environmental benefits
it has a lot lower impact of the environment than diary and meat production
problems with genetically modified technology
- problems producing plants with herbicide resistance means less can be used and that means it can be sprayed over an entire field, rather that targeting weeds however the use of genes could result in the transfer into the wild, leading to possible growth of herbicide resistant weeds
problem with removing weeds with genetically modified plants
the destruction of weeds on a large scale will also cause a loss in diversity. the crop field will become mono-culture, and the populations which rely on various weeds for food and shelter, meanings size will decrease
ethical considerations of genetically modified plants
could present a hazard to human health
could lead to allergic reactions to have higher than natural levels of toxins
many people also believe it is wrong to create new lifeforms when natural ones already exist
why is genetically modified food created
to increase the yield
to increase the nutritional value
concerns about genetically modified food
- poverty issues
- sometimes genetically modified crops do not work
- cross breeding with natural species may lead to inheriting the resistance alles (genes) this could mean crops are competing with weeds for resources
- dependent on developing countries, seeds are really expensive
what is modified bacteria
recombination of DNA technology involves the transfer of genes from one species to another
it can be used to make other organisms, usually bacteria, produce protein
the bacteria growth in the fementers can produce a huge amount of protein
insulin production explain
used to treat diabetes
made from the pancreases of animals, produced using recombination of DNA technology
what are the steps to insulin production
step one: the gene which produces inulin in humans is identified and isolated using restrictive enzymes to “cut it”, cut of the DNA strand
step two: the restriction of enzymes are used to cut open the DNA plasma in the bacteria
step three: a ligamase enzyme is used to attach the sticky ends of the gene onto the plasmid
step four: the plasmid is put into the bacteria cell. the bacteria are then grown and multiply by binary fission in fermenters, so large amount can be produced
define community
the populations of different species living in a habitat
define stable community
a community which the size of populations of all the species remain constant over time
define ecosystem
a community of organisms together with their physical environment
define population
all the organisms of one species living in a habitat
define biotic factor
living factors that shapes an environment
define interdependence
the relationship shared by organisms of different species in the same environment
define abiotic factor
a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment
examples of an abiotic factor
- light intensity
- temp
- moisture
- soil PH
- wind intensity
- mineral content
examples of biotic factor
- new predators
- new diseases
- one species out-competing another
- availability of food source
what are organisms that live in extreme environments called
extremophiles
what is the equation for random sampling
total population size = total area / area sampled x number of organisms of a species counted in that sample
what is a transect
A transect is a path along which one counts and records occurrences of the objects of study.
what is a transect used for?
to see how the numbers of organisms change across a habitat.
what is a quarat
each of a number of small areas of habitat, selected at random to act as samples for assessing the local distribution of plants or animals.
