ecology Flashcards
what is a group of organisms made up of single species?
population
what is a community?
group of different populations
match them up a) abiotic b)biotic 1)living organism 2)not living organism
a+2
b+1
what do plants compete for
light, water, minerals, soil, space
what do animals compete for
food, mates, territory
what might species rely on other species for (species interdependence)
seed dispersal, pollination, shelter, food
how can a community be stable
if all species and environmental factors are balanced
how does a change in atmospheric gases affect organisms
CO2 dissolves in water and increases water acidity, acidic water hinders corals’ ability to build a skeleton, this means that increased carbon dioxide in atmosphere prevents coral growth.
how does a change in water impact organisms
Wildebeests migrate annually to track seasonal changes in rainfall patterns.
how does a change in temperature impact organisms
Polar bears hunt seals on floating sea ice.
Increasing temperatures cause this ice to melt. This means that polar bears are no longer able to hunt their main food source.
what 2 ways can you assess ecosystems
quadrats, transects
what is the carbon cycle
Carbon is removed from atmosphere by producers who use it in photosynthesis, by consuming plants, animals obtain carbon compounds, carbon is returned into the atmosphere (as carbon dioxide) because of the respiration that happens in plant and animal cells, when animals and plants die, decomposers return the carbon locked in their bodies back to the atmosphere via decay, combustion of fossil fuels is another source of carbon entry into the atmosphere.
what is the water cycle
Water evaporates from the Earth’s surface, before rising up into the atmosphere, once in the atmosphere, the water vapour cools and condenses into either rain or snow, this eventually returns to the Earth’s surface, the rain or snow will either become surface runoff (water flowing off land) or will travel through the earth as ground water, plants take up water through their roots.
what does the rate of decay depend on
high temperature/oxygen/moisture
what happens if there is not enough oxygen to decay
anaerobic decay which produces biogas (mostly methane) which can be used for fuel/fertiliser
what are biogas generators
devices that produces methane gas for fuel
types of land pollutants
herbicides, pesticides, buried nuclear waste, landfills
types of water pollutants
sewage, toxic chemicals, excess fertiliser
types of air pollutants
smoke, gases
why is peat important
carbon remains in the plants instead of being released into the atmosphere
why are peats being destroyed
To free up land for farming, which requires the bogs to be drained. This draining process stimulates peat decay.
To burn the peat for fuel.
To sell the peat to gardeners as garden compost.
bad side effects of deforestation
decreases biodiversity, increase carbon dioxide emissions/volume, increased flooding, increased methane due to spacing for cattle
how is biodiversity being maintained
breeding programmes, government targets, incentivising farmers, recycling waste, protection of endangered habitats
which organisms are at each trophic level
level 1: producers
level 2: herbivores
level 3: carnivores that eat herbivores
level 4: carnivores that eat carnivores
