Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

GCSE Biology Paper 2 > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
GCSE Religious Studies - Edexcel Route A flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas Route A flashcards AP® Biology flashcards GCSE Geography - AQA flashcards Biology 101 flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Edexcel Route B flashcards GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas Route B flashcards
1
Q

What is a habitat?

A

The place where organisms live

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a population?

A

All the organisms of one species living in a habitat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is a community?

A

The populations of different species living in a habitat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are abiotic factors?

A

Non-living factors of the environment. E.g. temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are biotic factors?

A

Living factors of the environment. E.g. food

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What kind of things do plants compete with other organisms for in order to survive?

A

Light, space, water and mineral ions (nutrients)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What kind of things do animals compete with other organisms for in order to survive?

A

Space (territory), food and water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is interdependance?

A

Species depending on each other for things like food, shelter, pollination and seed dispersal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How do changes in environment have knock on effects of species?

A

Interdependence means that a major change such as the loss of a species can affect the accessibility of food, competition and likelihood to be eaten by predators.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are some examples of abiotic factors?

A

-Moisture level
-Light intensity
-Temperature
-Carbon Dioxide Level (for plants)
-Wind intensity and direction
-Oxygen level
-Soil pH and mineral content

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How can light intensity, carbon dioxide levels or temperature affect the population size of a plant?

A

A decrease in any of these things can decrease the rate of photosynthesis in a plant species which could hinder plant growth, decreasing the population size

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How can the mineral content of soil affect the population size of a plant?

A

A decrease in the mineral content (e.g. a lack of nitrates) could cause nutrient deficiencies in which could hinder plant growth, decreasing the population size

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are some examples of biotic factors?

A

-new predators
-competition
-new pathogens
-availability of food

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How is the arctic fox adapted to their environment?

A

It has white fur so they’re camouflaged against the snow to help them avoid predators and sneak up on prey

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How are whales and other animals that live in cold places adapted to their environment?

A

They have a thick layer of blubber (fat) and a low surface area to volume ratio to help them retain heat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is an example of behavioural adaptations.

A

Birds like swallows migrate to warmer climates during the winter to avoid the cold conditions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How are desert animals functionally adapted to their environment?

A

They conserve water by producing very little sweat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

How are brown bears functionally adapted to their environment?

A

They hibernate over winter to lower their metabolism which conserves energy so they don’t have to hunt when food is scarce

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Why are some microorganisms known as extremophiles?

A

Because can adapt to live in extreme temperatures e.g. volcanoes, salty bodies of water and high pressure deep sea vents

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the role of producers in a food chain?

A

-They’re usually green plants or algae
-it produces glucose by photosynthesis
-some of the glucose is used to make other biological molecules which are the plants biomass (stored energy)
-Biomass is transferred as organisms eat each other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

How do the population sizes of predator and prey affect each other?

A

-If the population of prey increases so will the predators (more food)
-If the population of the predators increases, the population of the prey decreases
-This results in a predator-prey cycles that are always out of phase because it takes time for the populations to reproduce in response to the changes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the distribution of an organism?

A

The part/area of its habitat in which in it is found. An organism might be more common in one area than another because of the environmental factors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Describe the process of using quadrants to study the distribution of small organisms.

A

-Place a 1m^2 quadrat on the ground at a random point in the first sample area
-Count all of the organisms within the quadrat
-repeat this as many times as possible
-work out the mean number of organisms per quadrat
-Repeat all this in the second sample area
-compare the two means

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

How can you work out the population size of an organism using quadrats?

A

-Use quadrats to find the mean number of organisms within a specific area (e.g. 1m^2)
-Multiply this by the size of the total area that you’re studying

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

How can transects be used to study the distribution of organisms along a line?

A

-Mark out a line in the area you want to study
-collect data along the line by counting all the organisms that touch the line
-or place quadrants along the line

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

How do you estimate the percentage cover of a quadrant?

A

-count the number of squares along a quadrant
-make this into a percentage by dividing the number of squares covered by the organism by the total number of squares and multiplying by 100

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is an example of water changing the distribution of a species?

A

The distribution of animal and plant species in the tropics changes based on rainfall patterns in wet and dry seasons

29
Q

What is an example of temperature changing the distribution of a species?

A

The distribution of bird species in Germany is changing because of a rise in average temperature

30
Q

What is an example of the composition of atmospheric gases changing the distribution of a species?

A

Air pollution can change the distribution of some species.

31
Q

What can cause changes in environmental factors?

A

-seasonal factors
-geographic factors
-human interaction

32
Q

Describe the water cycle.

A

-Energy from the sun makes water evaporate from the plants (transpiration) land and sea
-warm water vapour carried upwards and cools and condenses, forming clouds
-water falls as precipitation, providing fresh water for plants and animals
-drains into the sea
-all starts over

33
Q

How are elements cycled through the food chain?

A

-plants turn elements (carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen) into complex compounds
-passed up the food chain
-returned to the environment as waste or decay of dead animals
-waste and decay return elements to the soil
-all starts over

34
Q

What are the conditions needed for faster decay? Why?

A

-warmth
-moist (water availability)
-oxygen availability
-larger number of decay organisms
Because microorganisms are more active in these conditions

35
Q

Describe the carbon cycle.

A

-green plants and algae take up CO2 via photosynthesis
-carbon used used to make glucose
-CO2 returned in respiration
-animals eat plants and carbon moves through the food chain
-CO2 returned in respiration
-organisms die or produce waste and are fed on by microorganisms which respire
-combustion releases CO2

36
Q

How is biogas produced?

A

-Mainly made up of methane
-Microorganisms decay plant and animal waste, respiring anaerobically producing methane gas
-sludge waste from sewage works or sugar factories
-made in a fermenter called a digester or generator
-can’t be stored as liquid because it needs such a high pressure so must be used right away

37
Q

What is the difference between batch and continuous biogas generators?

A

-Batch make it in small batches. It’s manually loaded with waste and by-products are cleared after each session
-Continuous make it all the time at a steady rate, on a large scale. They’re continuously fed

38
Q

What are the key components of a biogas generator?

A

-inlet for waste material to be put in
-outlet for the digested material
-outlet for the biogass to be piped to where it’s needed

39
Q

How can you investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of decay?

A

-measure 5cm^3 of lipase solution and add to a test tube
-measure 5cm^3 of milk and add to a test tube
-add 5 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to the milk
-add 7cm^3 of sodium carbonate solution to the milk (makes it alkaline so it should turn pink
-set a water bath to 30 degrees, put the tubes in and leave them to reach that temp.
-put in 1cm^3 of the lipase solution into the milk and start a stopwatch
-stir with glass rod
-as soon as it loses its colour stop the watch and record the time
-repeat three times and find a mean (for accuracy)
-repeat at a range of different temperatures

40
Q

What is the formula for the rate of decay?

A

Rate = 1000 / time

41
Q

Why is high biodiversity important?

A

Because species depend on each other for things like shelter and food as well as maintaining the right physical environment for one another (e.g. the acidity of the soil)

42
Q

How does an increase in human population affect the environment?

A

-more people means we have to take more resources from the world to survive
-demand for higher living standard means we use more raw materials and more energy for manufacturing

43
Q

How does pollution affect water?

A

sewage and toxic chemicals are put into rivers, lakes and oceans, affect the plants and animals that rely on them.

44
Q

How does pollution affect the air?

A

Smoke and acidic gases are released into the atmosphere. E.g. sulphur dioxide which produces acid rain.

45
Q

How does pollution affect land?

A

We use toxic chemicals for farming(e.g. pesticides) and bury nuclear waste underground. Landfills.

46
Q

How do greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane trap energy from the sun? Why is this important?

A

-they absorb most of the energy that would normally be radiated into space and re-radiate it in all directions and back to earth
-this keeps heat energy in at night. But as the levels of these gases rise, global warming occurs

47
Q

What are some of the potential consequences of global warming?

A

-high temperatures melt glaciers, rising sea levels, flooding, loss of habitat
-distribution of species may change with rising temperatures and rainfall changes
-changes in migration patterns
-Reduction of biodiversity as it becomes harder for species to survive, extinction

48
Q

What are some of the reasons for deforestation?

A

-to clear land for farming
-to grow crops to produce biofuels

49
Q

What are some of the potential problems that could be caused by deforestation?

A

-less carbon dioxide absorption during photosynthesis, causing global warming
-carbon dioxide released during the burning of trees and the decay of the wood
-less biodiversity and more extinction

50
Q

What are Peat Bogs and how do they add CO2 to the atmosphere?

A

-acidic, waterlogged areas of land where plants to fully decay because there’s not enough oxygen
-partly-rotter plants build up to form peat, storing carbon
-peat is usually drained for farmland, fuel or compost
-it comes into contact with air and the microorganisms begin to decompose it
-all this creates CO2

51
Q

What are some of the programmes that have been set up to minimise damage to ecosystems and biodiversity?

A

-Breeding programmes to breed endangered animals in captivity to prevent extinction
-Programmes to protect rare habitats like coral reefs and heathland
-Programmes to reintroduce hedgegrows and field margins where only a single type of crop is grown
-Programmes to reduce deforestation
-Recycling and waste reduction programmes

52
Q

What does trophic level 1 of the food chain entail?

A
  • Organisms like plants and algae
    -producers that make their own food by photosynthesis using energy from the sun
52
Q

What does trophic level 2 of the food chain entail?

A

-primary consumers
-herbivores that eat the plants and algae
-e.g. arctic hare

52
Q

What does trophic level 3 of the food chain entail?

A
  • secondary consumers
    -carnivores that eat the primary consumers
    -e.g. fox
53
Q

What does trophic level 4 of the food chain entail?

A

-tertiary consumers
-carnivores that eat other carnivores
-they have no predators and are known as apex predators
-e.g. wolves

53
Q

What is the role of decomposers in our ecosystem?

A
  • e.g. bacteria and fungi
  • decompose dead plant or animal material
  • secrete enzymes that break the matter down into small soluble food molecules and then diffuse/absorb them
53
Q

How do pyramids of biomass represent a food chain?

A
  • each bar shows the relative mass of living material at a trophic level
  • the big bar along the bottom represents the producer and the bars get smaller as you work your way up the food chain
  • should be drawn to scale
54
Q

How much energy and biomass gets passed up to each trophic level of the food chain?

A

About 10% of what the level before it had.

55
Q

What are some of the reasons that biomass is lost between trophic levels?

A
  • organisms don’t always eat every single part of the organism they’re consuming
  • organisms don’t absorb all the food they ingest
  • some of the biomass is converted into other substances e.g. waste, glucose etc.
56
Q

What is the formula used to calculate the efficiency of a biomass transfer?

A

(Biomass transferred to the nest level / Biomass available at the previous level) X 100

57
Q

What are some of the factors that threaten the food security of a population?

A

-increasing population
-demand for certain foods that may already be scarce
-Farming can be affected by new pests and pathogens
-Farming can become too expensive to maintain food production
-conflicts in some countries can affect the availability of food and water

58
Q

Why are fish stocks declining? What affect does this have?

A
  • we’re over fishing
  • less fish for us to eat, disruption to food chains in the ocean
59
Q

How can fish stocks be maintained?

A

-Fish Quotas - limits on the numbers and sizes of fish that can be caught in certain areas
-Net Size - limits on the mesh size of fish nets to reduce the number of unwanted and discarded fish

60
Q

How can food production be made more efficient?

A

By controlling the movement of livestock and the temperature of their environment to reduce the transfer of energy

61
Q

What are some examples of more energy efficient farming?

A
  • calves and chickens being factory farmed in small pens
  • fish being farmed in cages
  • animals being fed high-protein food to increase their growth
62
Q

What is Mycoprotein? What is it used for?

A
  • substance made form the fungus Fusarium, grown in aerobic conditions on glucose syrup
  • used to make high-protein meat substitutes e.g. Quorn
63
Q

How is bacteria genetically engineered to make human insulin?

A

-plasmid removed from bacterium
-insulin gene cut out of a human chromosome using restriction enzyme
leaves one DNA strand with unpaired bases
-plasmid cut open by same enzyme
-plasmid and human insulin gene mixed together
-Ligase (enzyme) added to join them together, producing recombinant DNA
-recombinant DNA inserted into bacterium
-modified bacterium grown in vat under controlled conditions, producing millions that can be harvested and purified

64
Q

What are some of the arguments in favour of genetically modified crops?

A

-can be resistant to pests
-grow better in drought conditions
-more nutritional value

65
Q

What are some of the arguments against genetically modified crops?

A

-poverty is a bigger problem that food being unavailable
-countries may become dependent on companies that sell GM seeds
-poor soil is the main reason why crops fail so GM crops won’t survive anyway

GCSE Biology Paper 2 (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions