Ecology

Question 1

What is a habitat?

Answer 1

An environment, in which an organism lives.

Question 2

What is a population?

Answer 2

The total number of organisms of the same species, living the same geographical area.

Question 3

What is a community?

Answer 3

The populations of all of the different species. that live in the same habitat.

Question 4

What does biotic mean?

Answer 4

Living

Question 5

What does abiotic refer to?

Answer 5

The non-living parts of an environment.

Question 6

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 6

An ecosystem is both biotic and abiotic parts of an environment and how they interact.

Question 7

What factors do plants compete for?

Answer 7

1. Sunlight
2. Space.

Question 8

The 4 different biotic factors?

Answer 8

1. Source of food
2. New predator
3. Competition between predators
4. New pathogens

Question 9

Abiotic factors [4]

Answer 9

1. Light intensity
2. Temperature
3. Gases
4. Oxygen
5. Water
6. pH and mineral content of soil

Question 10

How is light intensity an impactful factor?

Answer 10

1. Light is required for photosynthesis
2. So a decrease in light intensity will slow down the rate of photosynthesis, and plants will grow more slowly
3. This will have great impacts on
   the community - if plants grow more slowly, then animals which feeds on plants, may not have enough food.

Question 11

How is temperature an impactful factor?

Answer 11

1. If the temperature of an environment changes then this could cause the distribution of species to change.
2. Animals could migrate
3. Plants could simply disappear from that area.

Question 12

How is water an impactful abiotic factor?

Answer 12

1. Both plants and animals need water to survive.

Question 13

How is pH an important abiotic factor?

Answer 13

Many plants cannot grow on soil, which is too acidic or too alkaline.

Question 14

Why are minerals an impactful abiotic factor?

Answer 14

1.plants need specific minerals in their soil.
2. For example - nitrates are needed to make amino acids, needed for protein

Question 15

Why are gases, such as CO2 and O2, impactful abiotic factors?

Answer 15

1. CO2 is needed for plants to photosynthesise
2. decrease in CO2, results in a decrease in rate of photosynthesis
3. O2 is needed for aerobic respiration
4. However, a decrease in O2 levels dissolved in water ( very common on hot days) can be dangerous of aquatic organisms.

Question 16

Adaption of camels- structural

Answer 16

1. Camels are adapted to the hot and dry conditions of a desert.
2. Camels have a hump on their back, which is a store of fat. By storing the fat in one place, this allows heat loss from the other parts of the camel’s body. This reduces water loss from sweating.
3. Metabolic reactions can be used to produce water from these fat.
4. Camels have a thick coat, this reduces water loss from sweating.
5. Camels have long eyelashes to keep out dust from their eyes.
6. Camels have wide feet, which prevents them from sinking in the sand.

Question 17

Adaptations of camels - functional

Answer 17

1. Camels produce concentrated urine and dry faeces, to reduce water loss.
2. Camels can tolerate very large changes to their body temperature.

Question 18

Adaptations of the artic fox in cold conditions - structural

Answer 18

1. Very thick fur - provides insulation and reduces heat loss to their air.
2. Very small ears - reduces the surface area of the fox, reducing heat loss.
3. White coat provides excellent camouflage - to protect from predators, as well as help to hunt for prey.

Question 19

Adaptations of plants- cactus

Answer 19

1. Very small leaves - reduce water loss
2. Spines to protect from prey
3. Extensive and shallow roots - to obtain as much water as possible, esp. after rainfall.

Question 20

What is always at the start of the food chain?

Answer 20

1. Producers
2. A green plant - which uses energy from sunlight to photosynthesise

Question 21

What are primary consumers?

Answer 21

Organisms that eat the producers .

Question 22

What are the secondary consumers?

Answer 22

Organisms which eat the primary consumer.