Ecology

Question 1

Habitat

Answer 1

The place where an organism lives.

Question 2

Population

Answer 2

All the organisms of one species living in a habitat.

Question 3

Community

Answer 3

The populations of different species living in a habitat.

Question 4

Abiotic factors

Answer 4

Non-living factors of the environment.

Question 5

Biotic factors

Answer 5

Living factors of the environment.

Question 6

Ecosystem

Answer 6

The interaction of a community of living organisms (biotic) with the non-living (abiotic) parts of their environment.

Question 7

What do plant species in a community or habitat compete for?

Answer 7

-Light
-Space
-Water
-Mineral ions

Question 8

What do animal species compete for?

Answer 8

-Territory (space)
-Food
-Mates
-(Water)

Question 9

What is competition?

Answer 9

Organisms competing with other species (and members of their own species) for the same resources.

Question 10

Why do organisms need resources from the environment/ surroundings and from other organisms?

Answer 10

-To survive

-To reproduce

Question 11

What is a stable community?

Answer 11

A community where all the species and environmental factors are in
balance so that population sizes remain fairly constant.

Question 12

What things may different species depend on each other for within a community?

Answer 12

-food
-shelter
-pollination
-seed dispersal

Question 13

What makes an ecosystem interdependent?

Answer 13

Different species depending on each other within a community.

Question 14

In an interdependent ecosystem, what happens if a major change in the ecosystem occurs? (e.g. the removal of one species)

Answer 14

The affects can be far-reaching, affecting the whole community.

Question 15

Why is it a problem that food webs are complex?

Answer 15

Knock-on effects of a change to one part of the ecosystem can be difficult to predict accurately.

Question 16

What are the different levels of organisation in an ecosystem?

Answer 16

-Individual organisms (plants/animals)

-Populations

-Communities

-Ecosystems

Question 17

Give an example of a stable community.

Answer 17

-Tropical rainforests

-Ancient oak woodlands

Question 18

What would the loss of a primary consumer mean for other primary consumers?

Answer 18

Less competition for producers (name a specific one), so population will increase. (initially).

But also more likely to be eaten by predators so population will decrease.

Question 19

What would the loss of a primary consumer mean for secondary consumers?

Answer 19

Less food so population will decrease.

Question 20

What would the loss of a primary consumer mean for tertiary consumers?

Answer 20

Less food (if pops of secondary consumers decrease [name them]) so population will decrease.

Question 21

How can feeding relationships within a community be represented?

Answer 21

-food chains

-food webs

Question 22

What do food chains begin with?

Answer 22

A producer which synthesises molecules.

Question 23

What are producers? (usually)

Answer 23

Green plant and algae which make glucose by photosynthesis.

Question 24

What are the producers of biomass for life on Earth?

Answer 24

Photosynthetic organisms.

Question 25

Predators

Answer 25

Consumers that kill and eat other animals.

Question 26

Prey

Answer 26

Consumers which are eaten by predators.

Question 27

In a stable community, what happens to the numbers of predators and prey?

Answer 27

The numbers rise and fall in cycles.

Question 28

When asked to describe data, what must we do?

Answer 28

Be explicit and say what we see.

Question 29

What are producers eaten by?

Answer 29

Primary consumers

Question 30

What are primary consumers eaten by?

Answer 30

Secondary consumers

Question 31

What are secondary consumers eaten by?

Answer 31

Tertiary consumers.

Question 32

What can food chains be divided into?

Answer 32

Trophic levels.

Question 33

What can trophic levels be represented by?

Answer 33

Numbers, starting at level 1 with
plants and algae.

Further trophic levels are numbered subsequently according to how far the organism is along the food chain.

Question 34

Trophic level 1

Answer 34

Producers - Plants and algae that make their own food.

Question 35

Trophic level 2

Answer 35

Primary consumers - Herbivores that eat plants/algae.

Question 36

Trophic level 3

Answer 36

Secondary consumers - Carnivores that eat herbivores.

Question 37

Trophic level 4

Answer 37

Tertiary consumers - Carnivores that eat other carnivores.

Question 38

What are apex predators?

Answer 38

Carnivores with no predators (aka. organisms at the top of a food chain).

Question 39

What are trophic levels?

Answer 39

The different stages of a food chain, consisting of one or more organisms that perform a specific role in it.

Question 40

Why are there usually only four or five trophic levels in a food chain?

Answer 40

A lot of energy is lost from the food chain at each trophic level.