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GCSE Biology > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a community?

A

All the populations of different species that live together in a habitat

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2
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

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

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3
Q

What are 4 things animals compete for?

A

food
water
mates
territory

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4
Q

What are 4 resources plants compete for?

A

water
mineral ions
light
space

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5
Q

What are 3 biotic factors?

A

disease
availability of food
predators

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6
Q

What are 4 abiotic factors?

A

mineral ions in soil
soil pH
wind intensity
temperature
light intensity

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7
Q

What does the term ‘structural adaptations’ refer to?

A

The physical features of the organism

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8
Q

What are 2 examples of structural adaptations?

A

the shape of an organism
the colour of an organism

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9
Q

What does the term ‘behavioural adaptations’ refer to?

A

the way an organism acts

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10
Q

What is an example of a behavioural adaptation?

A

The response of an organism when it sees a predator

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11
Q

What does the term ‘functional adaptations’ refer to?

A

The processes that take place within an organism

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12
Q

What is an example of functional adaptation?

A

How an organism metabolises chemicals

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13
Q

Some species of bird migrate to different regions of the world at certain times of the year.

Which type of adaptation is this?

A

bahavioural

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14
Q

Some species of snake have bright and distinct patterns on their scales to warn other species that they are venomous.

Which type of adaptation is this?

A

structural

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15
Q

What is an extremophile?

A

Extremophiles are microorganisms that live in extreme environments, such as those with high temperatures, pressures, or salt concentrations.

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16
Q

What type of organisms are extremophiles?

A

bacteria and archaea

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17
Q

What is a food chain?

A

A model that shows how energy passes from organism to organism

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18
Q

What are Organisms at the very start of a food chain that can create glucose using photosynthesis known as?

A

producers

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19
Q

What are 2 producers?

A

algae
plants

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20
Q

What do primary consumers feed on?

A

Producers

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21
Q

What do tertiary consumers eat?

A

secondary consumers

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22
Q

What are quadrats used for?

A

to measure abundance

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23
Q

What are transects used for?

A

to measure how distribution changes

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24
Q

Describe how you might use a 1m x 1m quadrat to estimate the number of dandelions in a 100m x 100m field.

A

1Place multiple tape measures along the length and width of the field, forming a large grid.

2Use a random number generator to generate 10 pairs of random coordinates.

3Place quadrats at those coordinates and count how many dandelions are found in each quadrat.

4Calculate the mean number of dandelions per m2.

5Estimate the total population size using our mean number of dandelions per m2 and the total area of the field.

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25
Q

What are usually the dimensions of a quadrat?

A

1m x 1m

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26
Q

What is a transect?

A

A line through a habitat along which organisms are sampled

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27
Q

Which three processes in the carbon cycle release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?

A

Decomposition

Combustion

Respiration

28
Q

What 2 groups of organisms carry out discomposition?

A

detritivores and decomposers

29
Q

What are detritivores?

A

small animals like worms and woodlice that feed on dead organic matter

30
Q

What are decomposers?

A

microorganisms like bacteria and fungi

31
Q

What are 3 factors that effect the rate of decomposition?

A

oxygen availability
temperature
water

32
Q

Why could the rate of decomposition fall if soil becomes waterlogged?

A

(Water fills the air gaps within the soil, so there will be) less oxygen

Less aerobic respiration

Fewer chemical reactions and thus slower decomposition

33
Q

What is compost made of?

A

dead plants

34
Q

What is anaerobic decay?

A

Some decomposing microorganisms can break down organic material without oxygen. In these cases, the microorganisms carry out anaerobic respiration and so it is called ‘anaerobic decay’.

35
Q

What is the mixture of gases anaerobic decay produces called?

A

biogas

36
Q

What is the most important biogas?

A

methane

37
Q

What are biogas generators?

A

large containers in which animal or plant waste is left to decay anaerobically.

38
Q

What useful things do biogas generators produce?

A

biogas (methane)

Once the biogas is removed from the tank, a sludgy material is left over, which contains a high density of useful minerals. This can be spread on fields like fertiliser.

39
Q

Give three reasons why maintaining high biodiversity is important.

A

It increases the stability of the ecosystem, so that changes are less likely to have adverse affects

Many species provide specific services, such as pollination

Many of our medicinal drugs come from wild species

40
Q

What are 2 impacts of rapid human growth?

A

More resources are being used

More waste is being produced

41
Q

What 2 substances contribute the most to water pollution?

A

fertiliser from agriculture
sewage from cities

42
Q

What 2 substances contribute the most to air pollution?

A

Acidic gases from burning fossil fuels

Smoke from combustion

43
Q

What 2 substances contribute the most to land pollution?

A

nuclear waste
landfill

44
Q

Which sort of species do breeding programs seek to help?

A

those that face extinction

45
Q

How do field margins and hedgerows in agriculture help increase biodiversity?

A

They provide extra habitats and food sources so that a wider range of species can survive.

46
Q

What are 3 greenhouse gases?

A

methane
carbon dioxide
water vapour

47
Q

Give three reasons for deforestation.

A

To clear land for agriculture

Logging for wood

Mining

48
Q

What is the soil of peat bogs like?

A

waterlogged
acidic

49
Q

Do peat bogs have high or low levels of oxygen?

A

low

50
Q

Which two human activities contribute to peat bog destruction?

A

Draining the peat to use the land for agriculture

Cutting out the peat to burn as a fuel

51
Q

What is peat?

A

build up of partially rotted plants that form peat

52
Q

Why is peat good?

A

it holds all the carbon dioxide from the dead plants

53
Q

Explain how draining peat bogs contributes to global warming.

A

The draining of water allows air (and oxygen) to return to the soil

This allows microorganism to carry out aerobic respiration and decay the organic matter

This releases CO2 which acts as a greenhouse gas, and contributes to global warming

54
Q

Which trophic level contains secondary consumers?

A

Trophic level 3

55
Q

Why are food chains usually no longer than five or six trophic levels?

A

Only ~10% of the energy and biomass is transferred between each level

56
Q

Roughly what proportion of energy biomass is transferred between trophic levels?

A

10%

57
Q

Give three reasons why only ~10% of the energy & biomass is passed on at each stage in a food chain?

A

not everything may be eaten
some material eaten may not be absorbed
most the energy that is absorbed is used for movement and faeces etc.

58
Q

How do sustainable fisheries contribute to the maintenance of fish stocks?

A

By implementing fishing quotas for responsible harvesting

59
Q

What is the purpose of increasing the size of fishing nets?

A

To allow young fish to escape

60
Q

What is the purpose of fishing quotas?

A

To maintain balanced ecosystems

61
Q

What are the 2 key features of food security?

A

Sustainable for the planet into the future
Access enough safe and nutritious food to meet their requirements for a healthy life

62
Q

How could the spread of pathogens across the world affect food security?

A

they could damage/kill plants which would decrease their yield so there would be less food available

63
Q

Give 2 ways in which changing diets could negatively affect food security.

A

Increased consumption of resource intense foods such as meat

Increased consumption of foods that have to be transported long distances across the world

64
Q

Give 3 factors that could negatively affect food security.

A

Rising populations

Changing diets

Pests and pathogens

Environmental change (higher temperatures, droughts, floods, changing rainfall etc)

More expensive agricultural inputs (like fuels, pesticides, fertilisers etc)

Conflicts/wars

65
Q

What is food security?

A

all people are able to access enough safe and nutritious food to meet their requirements for a healthy life, in ways the planet can sustain into the future.

66
Q

Over the past 200 years, why has the food that we eat become more intensive to produce?

A

Our diets have changed to include food that require more land and resources to produce.

For example we consume more meat and fewer grains.

67
Q
A

GCSE Biology (8 decks)

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