Ecology Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
The interaction of a community of living organisms with their non-living environment
What do plant compete for?
- Water/mineral ions
- Sunlight
- Space
What do animals compete for?
- Food
- Mates
- Territory
What does it mean if a community is stable?
All the biotic and abiotic factors are in balance, so populations remain fairly constant
What are extremophiles?
Organisms that thrive in extreme conditions (high temperature, pressure, salinity, etc)
Name an example of an extremophile
Bacteria living in deep sea vents
What is a producer?
An organism that produces biomass (food) by synthesising molecules
What are primary consumers?
Organisms that eat producers
What are secondary consumers?
Organisms that eat primary consumers
What are tertiary consumers?
Organisms that eat primary and secondary consumers
Write a practical for estimating the population size of an organism
- Measure out a 20m by 20m area
- Throw the quadrat randomly
- Count no. of organisms
- Repeat 10 times
- Calculate total population size with equation
Total area/Area sampled X No. counted
Describe three ways seeds are adapted for dispersal
- Winged seeds (wind)
- Seeds in fruit (through animals)
- Sticky seeds (on animals)
How are transects used to estimate population size?
A tape measure is stretched out from one area to another and quadrats are placed at regular intervals
Write a method to investigate the rate of decay of milk
- Fill a test tube with 5 cm^3 lipase solution and label “Amylase”
- Fill another test tube with cresol red, 5 cm^3 milk and 7cm^3 sodium carbonate solution and label “Milk”
- Place a thermometer into the milk test tube
- Place both tubes into a 20°C water bath
- Wait 5 minutes
- Use a pipette to transfer 1 cm^3 lipase into the milk and start a stopwatch
- When indicator turns from purple to yellow, stop timing
- Repeat at different temperatures
List three ways biodiversity is maintained by humans
- Breeding programmes
- Reducing deforestation
- Protecting rare habitats
How much of an organisms biomass is transferred to the level above it?
10%
Name 3 examples of seasonal change
- Temperature
- Rainfall levels
- Daylight hours
Name 3 examples of geographical change
- Altitude
- Soil pH
- Water salinity
Name 3 examples of human change
- Climate change
- Protecting endangered habitats
- Acid rain from pollution
How are losses of biomass caused?
- Lost in faeces
- Lost in respiration
What factors are threatening food security?
- Increasing population
- Pests/pathogens affecting farming
- Drought
How can efficiency of food production be improved?
- Restricting animals’ movement to reduce energy loss to environment
- Controlling the temperature of their surroundings
- Feeding them high protein foods to increase growth
How are fish stocks conserved?
- Controlled net sizes
- Fishing quotas
How can genetic modification help to improve food security?
- Crops producing better yield
- Improved nutritional value (golden rice)
- Mycoprotein
