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Biology - Paper 2 > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

what is a population

A

total number of organisms of the same species that live in a specific geographical area

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2
Q

what is a community

A

group of two or more populations of different species living in a specific geographical area

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3
Q

what is an ecosystem

A

the interaction of a community of living organisms and the non living parts of their environment

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4
Q

what is competition

A

contest between organisms within a community for resources

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5
Q

what is interdependence

A

when species in a community depend on others fro resources and shelter

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6
Q

what do animals often compete for

A

food, mates and territory

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7
Q

what do plants often compete for

A

light, space, water and mineral ions

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8
Q

what is an abiotic factor

A

non living factor that can affect a community

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9
Q

list the abiotic factors that can affect a community

A
  • carbon dioxide levels for plants
  • light intensity
  • moisture levels
  • oxygen levels for animals that live in water
  • soil pH and mineral content
  • temperature
  • wind intensity and direction
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10
Q

what is a biotic factor

A

living factor that can affect a community

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11
Q

list the biotic factors that can affect a community

A
  • availability of food
  • new predators
  • new pathogens
  • competition between species
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12
Q

what is a stable community

A

when all species and environmental factors are in balance so population sizes remain fairly constant

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13
Q

how do adaptations help an organism

A

they enable the organism to survive in the conditions in which it lives

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14
Q

what are the three types of adaptations

A

structural, behavioural, and functional

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15
Q

what is an extremophile

A

an organism that lives in a very extreme environment

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16
Q

what makes an environment extreme

A
  • very high or low temperature
  • extreme pressures
  • high salt concentrations
  • lack of oxygen or water
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17
Q

what is a producer

A

organism that makes its own food, usually by photosynthesis

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18
Q

what is a food chain

A

representation of the feeding relationships within a community

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19
Q

what is a consumer

A

organism that eats other organisms for food

20
Q

what is a herbivore

A

organism that only eats producers (plants/ algae)

21
Q

what is a prey consumer

A

organism that is killed and eaten by another consumer

21
Q

what is a predator

A

organism that kills and eats other organisms

22
Q

what is an apex predator

A

carnivore with no predators

23
Q

what proportion of biomass is transferred from each trophic level to the one above

A

10%

24
Q

why is biomass lost between trophic levels

A
  • some ingested material is egested
  • some material is lost as waste
  • used in life processes such as respiration
  • energy is used in movement
25
Q

what is the carbon cycle

A

process that turns carbon from organisms to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide which can be used by plants

26
Q

what is the water cycle

A

process that provides fresh water fro plants and animals on land before draining into seas and rivers

27
Q

what is a decomposer

A

organism that breaks down dead plant and animal matter

28
Q

what is the role of decomposition

A

returns carbon to the atmosphere and mineral ions to the soil from dead matter

29
Q

what factors affect the rate of decay

A

oxygen levels, moisture levels, temp and pH

30
Q

what gas does anaerobic decay produce

A

methane gas which can be used as fuel

31
Q

give the environmental changes that can affect the distribution of organisms

A

temp, availability of water, and composition of atmospheric gases

32
Q

what is biodiversity

A

the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth or within an ecosystem

33
Q

what is the advantage of high biodiversity

A

ensures stability of ecosystems by reducing the dependence of one species on another

34
Q

how are humans trying t maintain biodiversity

A
  • breeding programmes
  • protection of rare habitats
  • reintroduction of hedgerows
  • reduction of deforestation and co2 emissions
  • recycling resources
35
Q

why are more resources being used and more waste produced by humans

A

rapid growth in human population and increase in the standard of living

36
Q

where does pollution occur

A

water, air and land

37
Q

how are humans reducing the land available for other organisms

A

building, quarrying, farming, and dumping waste

38
Q

what are the negative impacts of destruction of peat bogs

A
  • reduces amount of available habitat, causing decrease in biodiversity
  • burning or decay of peat releases co2 into atmosphere
39
Q

why have humans carried out large scale deforestation in tropical areas

A
  • provide land for cattle and rice fields
  • grow crops for biofuels
40
Q

what is food security

A

having enough food to feed a population

41
Q

what are the biological factors threatening human food security

A
  • rapid population growth and increasing birth rate
  • new pests and pathogens
  • changing diets in developed countries
  • environmental changes
  • conflicts
  • costs of agricultural inputs
42
Q

how can the efficiency of food production be increased

A
  • limit movement of animals
  • control temp of surroundings
  • feed animals high protein food
  • give animals antibiotics
  • regularly use fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides
43
Q

what gases are increasing in atmospheric levels and contributing to global warming

A

co2 and methane

44
Q

how can fish stocks be maintained at a sustainable level

A

controlling new sizes and introducing fishing quotas

45
Q

how is biotechnology used to maintain the growing human population

A
  • large quantities of microorganisms cultured for food such as mycoprotein from Fusarium
  • GM bacteria producing treatments like human insulin
  • GM crops providing higher yields or improved nutritional values

Biology - Paper 2 (3 decks)

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