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Bio 20 IB > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What size are ecosystems?

A

They can be either large or small.

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2
Q

What does a well-balanced ecosystem have the potential to do?

A

It has the potential to be sustainable for long periods of time.

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3
Q

What three things are a must for an ecosystem to be sustainable?

A

Nutrients, energy, waste detox.

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4
Q

Define a species.

A

A species is a group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offsprings.

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5
Q

What is a population?

A

A group of individuals of the same species who live in the same AREA at the same TIME.

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6
Q

If a lion and a tiger can reproduce to make a liger which is fertile, why are they not members of the same species?

A

They will not interbreed in nature.

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6
Q

What is a community?

A

A group of populations of different species that live and interact with each other in an area.

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7
Q

What is the study of relationships between living organisms and their environments?

A

Ecology

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7
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

A community of living groups of organisms interacting with its abiotic environment.

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8
Q

What are self-feeders called?

A

Autotrophs

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9
Q

What kind of nutrients do autotrophs obtain from their environment? What do they build with these nutrients?

A

Inorganic nutrients, they build organic compounds with these nutrients.

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10
Q

What are some inorganic compounds? How are they maintained?

A

Phosphorus, carbon, nitrogen which are maintained by nutrient cycling between biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem.

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11
Q

Where do autotrophs get their energy?

A

The sun

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12
Q

What returns inorganic building blocks to the environment so that they are available for autotrophs?

A

Non-consumer heterotrophs such as detrivores and saprotrophs.

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12
Q

What are species that are both heterotrophic and autotropic called?

A

Mixotrophs

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13
Q

Name a heterotrophic plant.

A

Orchids

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14
Q

Can organisms exist in more than one feeding level?

A

Yes.

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15
Q

Is there a maximum number of feeding levels? Why or why not?

A

There is because energy is limited.

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16
Q

What are chemoautotrophs?

A

Organisms that make their own food using energy from the chemical bonds of inorganic compounds.

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17
Q

Name a chemoautotroph.

A

Methanogenic archae

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18
Q

Which trophic level supports all the other levels?

A

Autotrophs, primary producers

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19
Q

What compound do methanogenic archae use to produce their own food? What chemicals are byproducts of this reaction?

A

H2S is the compound used and it turns into cglucose and sulfuric acid.

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19
Q

What are primary consumers known as?

A

Herbivores.

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20
Q

What are three ways to represent energy transfers?

A

Food chain, food webs, pyramids of energy.

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21
Q

Name two non-consumer heterotrophs. What are the differences between them?

A

Detritivores= heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from detritus by internal digestion. They initiate decomposition into inorganic substances. Saprotrophs= heterotrophs that “putrid feed” and obtain nutrients by external digestion. They finish breakdown.

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21
Q

How do saprotrophs externally digest food?

A

They secrete digestive enzymes then absorb nutrients.

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22
Q

Name an example of a detritivore. A saprotroph.

A

ugs and worms are detritivores. Mushroom/fungi are saprotrophs.

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23
Q

What returns energy to the environment?

A

Nothing.

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23
Q

What are scavengers? Are they decomposers?

A

Scavengers are animals that feed on recently dead material. They are not decomposers since they eat large amounts.

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24
Q

The quote goes “energy ….. matter…”

A

Energy flows, mater recycles.

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25
Q

How can energy leave a system?

A

Can leave as heat or can be used up in biological processes. Can also be stored in indigestible matter.

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26
Q

How much of the incoming solar radiation enters the food chain?

A

1-2%

27
Q

How much energy reaches the next tropic level usually?

A

About 10%

27
Q

From the lost energy, what can recover some of it?

A

Saprotrophs/detritivores since they can feed on indigestible matter that is excreted as waste but contains some energy.

27
Q

What restricts the biomass of higher trophic levels

A

The fact that energy does not get passed down in its full amount from one level to the next so fewer organisms can be supported.

28
Q

What are the units of the pyramid of energy?

A

kJ/m^2/y

29
Q

What is biomass? Units?

A

The total dry weight of organisms per sample area. Units are g/m^2

30
Q

What shape does a pyramid of biomass usually resemble? Why?

A

A pyramid because of loss of energy, carbon dioxide, water, and other waste products.

31
Q

When might a pyramid of biomass not resemble a pyramid? Why?

A

In aquatic ecosystems since autotrophs are being eaten as soon as they reproduce.

31
Q

What do mesocosms help us investigate?

A

The sustainablity of an ecosystem.

32
Q

Are mesocosm closed or open environments? What does that mean?

A

They are closed which means that there is a fixed supply of matter but energy can come in and out.

32
Q

What are some advantages of mesocosms?

A

They are on a smaller scale so cheaper and take less time. Easier to control and manipulate variables without causing irreversible changes to a natral area.

33
Q

What is a disadvantage to a mesocosm?

A

They are not realistic and so unforeseen responses are not taken into account.

34
Q

What is the null hypothesis?

A

There is no association between species A and B.

35
Q

When comparing the Chi^2 value to the critical value, what should be observed for the null hypothesis to be accepted?

A

The chi^2 test must be smaller than the critical value.

36
Q

Where is carbon found on earth? (6)

A

sediment/rock, ocean/atmosphere, soil, biomass, methane, peat

37
Q

What is carbon found in the ocean as?

A

Dissolved carbon dioxide and hydrogen carbonate ions.

37
Q

How is methane produced? What organisms make these methane?

A

By decaying organic and inorganic material where there is a lack of oxygen. Methanogenic archaeans make this.

38
Q

What is peat? What conditions form it?

A

Peat is decaying organic material that isn’t fully decomposed in acidic and/or anaerobic conditions in waterlogged soil.

38
Q

Where does oil, gas and coal come from?

A

Partially decomposed organic material that has accumulated in porous (spongy) rock.

39
Q

How are fossils made? What are they? What do they become fossilized as?

A

Hard parts of animals that are composed of calcium carbonates. They become fossilized as limestone.

39
Q

How can carbon be released into the environment? (3)

A

Respiration from animals/plants, methane can be oxidized into Co2 and water, and combustion of organic matter which releases CO2

39
Q

What is the difference between a carbon sink and source?

A

A carbon source emits carbon while a carbon sink stores/receives carbon.

39
Q

What happens to the energy of the sun once it enters the Earth?

A

A third of it is reflected back while 2/3 of it is absorbed by the earth’s surface.

40
Q

What hapens to the energy that the earth absorbs from the sun?

A

It is emitted as long wave radiation (heat).

40
Q

What can greenhouse gases absorb and retain in the atmosphere? What does this lead to?

A

Greenhouse gases can absorb long wave radiation and retain it in the atmosphere. This leads to warming.

41
Q

Name four greenhouse gases.

A

Water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, methane.

41
Q

Which two greenhouse gases retain heat the most? Why?

A

Water vapour and carbon dioxide because of their high concentartion in the atmosphere.

42
Q

How is carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere?

A

By photosynthesis and absorption in the ocean.

42
Q

Where does water vapour in the atmosphere come from? (4)

A

Transpiration, evaporation, fossil fuel burning, cell resp.

43
Q

Where does carbon dioxide in the atmosphere come from? (3)

A

respiration, fossil fuel burning, teh decay of materials where living or not

43
Q

Wat is a more effective greenhouse gas than CO2?

A

Methane

44
Q

When is methane produced?

A

When matter decays without the presence of oxygen.

45
Q

What are some methane sources? (4)

A

Rice paddies, wetlands, animal digestive processes, fossil fuel extraction, decaying garbage.

45
Q

Where are nitrous oxides (N2O) from? (2)

A

Soils and oceans

46
Q

What causes the production of nitrous oxides? (4)

A

Soil cultivation, nitrogen fertilizers, nylon production, burning of fossil fuels/organic material.

47
Q

What are halocarbons effective at doing? Are they responsible for the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

Trapping heat, they are greenhouse gases. they are not responsible for the enhanced green house effect.

48
Q

What do CFCs mainly cause?

A

Ozone depletion.

49
Q

Wahat is the sedimentary rock that is dead anaerobic bacteria called?

A

Stromatolites.

49
Q

What sign on the stromatolites showed the presence of oxygen and uptake of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

A

Black iron oxide bands in the stromatolites.

49
Q

Besides an increase in CO2 production, what have humans done to affect the climate? (2)

A

Change land use like cutting down forests and replacing them with asphalt that increases energy reflected off the earth. Also adding atmospheric aerosols in the air.

50
Q

What organism can an increase of CO2 in the oceans threaten?

A

Coral reefs

51
Q

What can happen to Europe if weather patterns continue to change? Canada?

A

Europe will cool while Canada will experience great warming.

52
Q

What are some consequences of rising global temperatures?

A

Increased rate of decomposition of detritus trapped in permafrost. Loss of habitat. Changes in the distribution of prey species. Increased success of pests. Disruption in ecosystems.

53
Q

What is the kneeling curve evidence of?

A

The enhanced greenhouse effect.

54
Q

Does CO2 naturally increase or decrease in winter? Why?

A

Increase because there is less photosyntehsis taking place.

55
Q

What did the kneeling curve observe in the spring? What does that mean?

A

Spring CO2 declines are starting earlier. This means that seasons are becoming longer.

56
Q

What is the precautionary principle?

A

Those responsible for a change must prove that it will not cause harm before proceeding.

Bio 20 IB (6 decks)

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