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Biology > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Define ecology

A

Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment

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2
Q

Define biosphere

A

The biosphere is the part of the planet and atmosphere where living things can exist

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3
Q

What is the environment

A

The environment is all external factors that can affect an organisms growth and development

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4
Q

Define ecosystem

A

An ecosystem is a group of clearly distinguished organisms that interact with their environment as a unit

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5
Q

Define habitat

A

Is a place where a plant or animal lives

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6
Q

Define population

A

Population is a group of organisms of the same species living in an area

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7
Q

Define abiotic factors

A

Non living factors affecting organisms

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8
Q

Define community

A

Is all the different populations in an rea

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8
Q

Define biotic factors

A

Living factors affecting organisms

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9
Q

Define edaphic factors

A

relates to soil

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9
Q

Climatic factors

A

Refer to the weather over a long period of time

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10
Q

What do abiotic factors include?

A

Steepness, altitude, exposure, aspects and currents

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11
Q

What do biotic factors include?

A

Predation, parasitism, predation, competition, human intervention, speed dispersal and symbiosis

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12
Q

What do edaphic factors include?

A

Soil ph, soil type, soil moisture content, and soil mineral content

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13
Q

What do climatic factors include?

A

Temperature, humidity, rainfall, light intensity, wind speed and day length

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14
Q

What are producers?

A

An organism that makes its own food

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15
Q

What are consumers?

A

These are organisms that take in food from other organisms

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16
Q

Order of food chain

A

Producer- Primary Consumer- Secondary Consumer- Tertiary Consumer

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17
Q

Define food chain

A

Is a sequence of organisms in which one is eaten by the next member in the food chain

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18
Q

Define Trophic level

A

Is the position of an organism in a food chain

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19
Q

Factors influencing aquatic environments

A

Salt conc, currents, light penetration, ph, oxygen conc and wave actions

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20
Q

What do ecosystems need a constant supply of?

A

Energy

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21
Q

How much energy is lost at each trophic level?

A

Roughly 90%

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22
Q

Why does a food chain end?

A

After usually the 4th trophic level there would be very little energy left to gain so by hunting the organism would actually use more energy than gain from eating the prey so the energy transfer limit the length of a food chain

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23
Q

Define food web

A

A food web consists of two or more interlinked food chains

24
Q

Define pyramid of number

A

A pyramid of number represents the number of organisms at each trophic level

25
Q

Define niche

A

Niche is the functional role of an organism in an ecosystem

26
Q

What are an organisms niche ?
i.e functional role

A
  • What it eats
  • What it is eaten by
  • How it interacts with other organisms and its environment
27
Q

What happens if two species of the same niche live in the same habitat?

A

They will not survive as they would compete

28
Q

Define nutrient recycling

A

Nutrient recycling is the way in which elements are exchanged between living and non living components of an ecosystem

29
Q

What is the carbon cycle?

A

The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is exchanged between living organisms and the environment

30
Q

What is the role of plants in the carbon cycle?

A

Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and return it during respiration

31
Q

What is the role of bacteria and fungi in the carbon cycle?

A

Bacteria and fungi decompose plants and animals returning carbon back to the environment

32
Q

What is the role of animals in the carbon cycle?

A

Animals take in carbon from eating plant and return it to the atmosphere by respiration

33
Q

What is the nitrogen cycle?

A

The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is exchanged between living organisms and the environment

34
Q

Why do living things need nitrogen?

A

To produce DNA and proteins

35
Q

What is nitrogen fixation?

A

It is the conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia, ammonium and nitrate

36
Q

What is nitrification?

A

It is the conversion of ammonia and ammonium compounds into nitrite and then nitrate

37
Q

What is denitrification?

A

It is the conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas

38
Q

What is the role of nitrogen fixing bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?

A

converting nitrogen gas into nitrates

39
Q

What is the role of bacteria of decay in the nitrogen cycle?

A

Converting dead organic matter into ammonia

40
Q

What is the role of nitrifying bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?

A

Converting nitrogen gas into nitrates

41
Q

What is the role of denitrifying bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?

A

Converting nitrates into nitrogen gas

42
Q

What is the role of fungi in the nitrogen cycle?

A

Converting dead organic matter into ammonia in the soil

43
Q

What is the role of plants in the nitrogen cycle?

A

Converting nitrates from soil into protein

44
Q

What is the role of animals in the nitrogen cycle?

A

Converting plant protein to animal protein

45
Q

Define pollution

A

Pollution is any harmful addition to the environment

46
Q

Define pollutants

A

Pollutants are harmful additions to the environment

47
Q

What is ozone deletion caused by?

A

Chemical pollutants such as CFC’s used in aerosols and agricultural sprays

48
Q

What does ozone depletion cause?

A
  • Skin cancer
  • More UV light penetrating to earth
    -Crop damage
49
Q

Controls for ozone depletion

A

-Reduction in the use of CFC’s
-Removing CFC’s in fridges prior to dumping
- Plant more trees

50
Q

Define conservation

A

Conservation is the wise management of existing natural resources in an ecosystem

51
Q

What are the benefits of conservation?

A
  • Maintain biodiversity
  • Prevents organisms from becoming extinct
  • Maintains a balance in nature
  • Organisms can be useful in the future
52
Q

What are the conservation practices in fisheries?

A
  • Fixed net size
  • Fishing quotas
  • Fish restocking
53
Q

What is the waste management for agriculture?

A

Waste =slurry
Prevented= storing in leak proof and waterproof tanks
Reduced= By spreading on the land during a dry season

54
Q

What is the waste management for forestry?

A

Waste= branches, roots, stumps and sawdust
Prevented= Allowing materials to naturally decompose into the ground
Recycled= Can be used to form sheets of MDF

55
Q

What is the waste management for fisheries?

A

Waste= Fish heads, tails, fins and blood
Prevented= Waste is highly acidic so is neutralised by formic acid
Reduced= Pulped and dried for either pig feed or fertiliser

56
Q

Problems with waste disposal

A
  • Incinerators release toxic fumes
  • Landfill sites are smelly
  • Micro-organisms in waste can cause disease
  • Eutrophication kills fish
57
Q

What is the role of micro-organisms at a landfill site?

A

To convert waste to soil by decomposing biodegradable waste

58
Q

What is the role of micro-organisms at a sewage site?

A

Break down sewage in enclosed tanks and liquid waste in open tanks

59
Q

How do we control waste production?

A

Reduce, reuse and recycle

Biology (17 decks)

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