ecology Flashcards
Biosphere
Area where living things exist on earth
Biosphere examples (5)
Tundra , dessert, marine, coral reefs, temperate grassland
Ecology
Study of how all living things interact with each other and their environment
Ecosystem
All the animals and plants in an area interacting with each other and their environment
Habitat
Place where an animal or plant lives
Population
Members of the same species living in the same habitat
Community
All the plants and animals living in the same area
Abiotic factors
- give 3 examples.
Non living factors that effect living things
- wind, temperature, rainfall
Competition
Interaction between organisms for resources that are in short supply
E.g resources like food, water shelter, mates
Biotic factors
- give 3 examples
Living factors that affect living things
- competition, predation, interdependence
Predation
When a predator hunts and kills prey
Predator
Any organism that hunts and consumes another living thing (prey)
Prey
Animals hunted and consumed by predators
Interdependence
5 examples (long answer)
Is the way that animals and plants depend on each other for survival
- animals depend on plants (hare and grass)
- animals depend on animals (birds of prey and rabbits)
- plants depend on animals (bees and their pollen)
- plants depend on plants ( shrubs and trees for shelter)
- plants depend on decomposers (worms for the soil)
Decomposers
Organisms that break down dead organic matter
ex: earthworm
Adaption
When an organism has developed characteristics that make it well suited to its envirnment
Physical adaptation
(And example)
How an organism has altered its physical body/structure to survive
E.g green caterpillar turned green as camouflage protect from predators
Behavioural adaptations
(no examples)
What an animal must do to survive
Nocturnal animal
Sleep during the day and hunt at night (bats) (behavioural adaptation)
Migrate
To move from one place to another (swallows)
Hibernate
Sleep during the winter months
Feeding relationships
The way that energy and nutrients are passed from one organism to another in an ecosystem.
Carnivore
An organism that eats animals ex: shark
Herbivore
An organism that eats plants ex:rabbit
Omnivores
Organism that eats plants and animals ex:humans
Consumer
Organism that gets its food from other organisms
Producers
Make their own food ex:plants
Food chain
Linear sequence that using arrows shows how energy and nutrients are passed on from one organism to another.
a food web
Illustrates all the food chains in an ecosystem
Name 2 environmental factors (habitat)
- Weather factors: rainfall, air temperature, light intensity
- factors affecting soil: soil type, soil pH, moisture content
How to measure light
Light meter
How to measure wind speed
Anemometer
How to measure temperature
Thermometer
How to measure pH
pH meter
How to measure rainfall
Rain gauge
Describe 2 instruments to observe a insect (long)
- pooter, to operate the pooter place one tube near the insect and inhale through the other tube which contains the gauze. This will pull the insect into the container for observation and identification
- a beating tray, it is a sheet that is out under the leaves of a tree or shrub, then gently shake or hit the branch with a stick to dislodge insects
How to identify organisms?
A key, a key is used to identify organisms in a habitat, this is qualitative data because it is descriptive and not numerical
Line transect
Rope marked out at regular intervals across a habitat, used to investigate the distribution of organisms in a habitat
2 negative impacts of pesticides
- kills living things
- water pollution
Biodiversity
Variety of different species in a habitat
Endangered species
Means that species whose population is critically low
