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Biology GCSE > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

What is a community

A

The populations of different species living in a habitat

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2
Q

What is a population

A

All the organisms of one species living in a habitat

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3
Q

What is an ecosystem

A

The interaction of a community of living organisms with the non-living parts of their environment

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4
Q

What are abiotic factors

A

Non-living factors of the environment

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5
Q

What are biotic factors

A

Living factors of an environment

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6
Q

What is a habitat

A

The place where an organism lives

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7
Q

What is a predator

A

An animal that eats another animal in a food chain

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8
Q

What is prey

A

An animal that is eaten by another animal in the food chain

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9
Q

What is interdependence

A

Organisms relying on other organisms for things like food, shelter, pollination, seed dispersal

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10
Q

What do plants compete for

A

Water
Sunlight
Space
Mineral ions

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11
Q

What do animals compete for

A

Food
Water
Mates
Territory

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12
Q

What are extaemophilles

A

An organism that is adapted to live in extreme conditions like:
High temperature
High pressure
High salt
(e.g. bacteria that live in deep sea vents)

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13
Q

Behavioural adaptations

A

The way an organism behaves
(e.g. lizards burrow under the sand to cool down and pitcher plants open/close )

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14
Q

Structural adaptations

A

Features of an organisms body structure
(e.g. bears have a small SA:V to reduce heat loss and pitcher plants have ridges to catch food)

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15
Q

Functional adaptations

A

Processes that occur within the organisms body
(e.g. bears 🐻 slow body for hibernation using hormones and pitcher plants 🌱 produce wax/digestive fluids)

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16
Q

What do food chains show

A

The flow of energy through an ecosystem through the process of feeding

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17
Q

Producers

A

Absorb light energy to produce their own food through photosynthesis

18
Q

Consumers

A

Obtain energy through eating other organisms

19
Q

Decomposers

A

Obtain energy by breaking down dead matter

20
Q

Trophic levels

A

Feeding levels in food chains
(Producer is level 1)

21
Q

Stable communities

A

All species and environmental factors are in balance, so the population sizes remain roughly constant over time

22
Q

Precipitation

A

Rain, hail, snow, sleet that falls from the clouds

23
Q

Condensation

A

When water vapour cools and turns into clouds

24
Q

Evaporation

A

When the sun heats up water and it rises into the air

25
Q

Groundwater flow

A

When water flows through the rocks 🪨 and soil underground

26
Q

Surface run-off

A

When the water runs off the surface of the ground

27
Q

Transpiration

A

When the sun heats up the water from the leaves of trees

28
Q

Decomposition is caused by…

A

…microorganisms such as bacteria 🦠 and fungi 🍄

29
Q

Equation for respiration

A

6O(2) + C(6)H(12)O(6) = 6CO(2) + 6H(2)O

30
Q

What factors affect photosynthesis

A

Light intensity
Carbon dioxide concentration
Temperature

31
Q

What kind of organisms do you use for measuring the number of organisms in an area

A

Small non-motile

32
Q

Equation for number of organisms in an area

A

Area of field (divided by) area of quadrant X mean

33
Q

Biodiversity

A

The variety of different species of organisms within an ecosystem

34
Q

What do humans rely on other species for

A

Food
Materials
Shelter
Medicine
Purification

35
Q

What do humans use land for

A

Farming 🚜
Building 🏠
Quarrying ⛏
Landfill 🗑

36
Q

How do humans process waste

A

Landfill 🗑
Recycling ♻️
Incineration 🔥
Composting 🌱

37
Q

Types of pollution

A

Air 💨
Water 💧
Land/Earth 🌎

38
Q

Eutrophication

A

(Algae bloom)
When fertilisers run off field into lakes they cause the algae to multiply rapidly
This blocks sunlight and so prevents aquatic plants from photosynthesising

39
Q

What is carbon sequestration

A

The process of removing carbon from the atmosphere

40
Q

What are peat bogs

A

Areas of acidic, waterlogged land that contains partially decomposed plants

41
Q

Why are peat bogs being cleared

A

For farmland, fuel or compost

42
Q

Why are peat bogs important

A

There is little oxygen in peat bogs, so microorganisms can’t survive causing less decomposition and less carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere

Biology GCSE (7 decks)

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