Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
is the study of the interactions between living things (organisms) and between organisms and their environment.
What are external factors that influence an organism?
Abiotic
Biotic
Climatic
Edaphic
Biosphere
The biosphere is that part of the planet containing living organisms.
What does the biosphere include?
Air
Soil
Seas
Rock
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a group of clearly distinguished organisms that interact with their environment as a unit.
What is an example of an ecosystem and it’s feature?
Desert - low rainfall - e.g Sahara
Habitat
A habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives.
Population
A population is all the members of the same species living in an area.
Community
A community is all the different populations in an area.
Abiotic factors
Abiotic factors are non-living factors
What is are two abiotic factors, their effect and an example?
Altitude- Higher altitudes = cooler, wetter, than lower - e.g trees cannot live at high altitudes
Aspect - north facing = cold and dark and vice versa - more plants grow on south facing slopes
Biotic factors
Biotic factors are living factors.
What are two examples of biotic factors, their effects and examples?
Food - more food = greater organism survival- e.g more berries = more blackbirds
Competition- Plants and animals fight for food, mates - e.g rabbits compete for food
Climatic factors
Climatic factors refer to weather over a long period of time.
What are two examples of climatic factors, their effects and examples?
Temperature - affects rate of reactions - higher temperature = rapid plant growth, lower temp = hedgehog hibernation
Rainfall - water is essential for life - Cacti live in areas of low rainfall (deserts)
Edaphic factors
Edaphic factors relate to soil
What are two edaphic factors, their effects and examples?
Water content - absorbed by roots - plants need water absorbed for photosynthesis, metabolism 
Mineral content - needed by plants - lack of minerals causes stunted growth and yellowing
What is the planet’s primary source of energy?
The sun
What percentage of energy is passed from one trophies level to another?
10%
Where does the remaining percentage of energy go to from one tropic level to another?
Used by the organism, lost as heat, waste or detritus
What is feeding?
Allows energy to flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem
Producers
Producers are organisms that carry out photosynthesis.
Consumers
Consumers are organisms that take in food from another organism.
Who to primary consumers feed on?
Producers
Who do secondary consumers feed on?
Primary consumers
Who do tertiary consumers feed on ?
Secondary consumers
What do herbivores eat?
Vegetation
What do carnivores eat?
Meat
What do omnivores eat?
Plants and animals
What do decomposers eat?
Bacteria and fungi
What do scavengers eat?
Dead animals
Grazing food chain
A grazing food chain is a sequence of organisms in which each one is eaten by the next member in the chain.
What is an example of a food chain with 4 tropic levels?
Leaves - Earthworm - Hedgehog - Fox
Tropic level
A trophic level is a feeding stage in a food chain
Food web
A food web consists of two or more interlinked food chains.
Pyramid of numbers
A pyramid of numbers represents the number of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain.
Ecological niche
An ecological niche of an organism is the functional role it plays in the community.
What is an example of ecological niche?
- Swallows feed on aerial insects.
- Thrushes feed on ground insects.
- Blackbirds feed on insects on trees or eat fruit and worms.
Nutrient recycling
Nutrient recycling is the way in which elements (such as carbon and nitrogen) are exchanged between the living and the non-living components of an ecosystem.
What is the cause of global warming?
Increased combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation etc.
What are effects of global warming?
Sea levels rise, Gulf Stream reversed , altered weather patterns
What does greenhouse gas mean?
It allows heat radiation from the sun to enter the atmosphere, but doesn’t allow heat rays out
