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[LC Biology] > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

Ecology

A

is the study of the interactions between living things (organisms) and between organisms and their environment.

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2
Q

What are external factors that influence an organism?

A

Abiotic
Biotic
Climatic
Edaphic

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3
Q

Biosphere

A

The biosphere is that part of the planet containing living organisms.

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4
Q

What does the biosphere include?

A

Air
Soil
Seas
Rock

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5
Q

Ecosystem

A

An ecosystem is a group of clearly distinguished organisms that interact with their environment as a unit.

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6
Q

What is an example of an ecosystem and it’s feature?

A

Desert - low rainfall - e.g Sahara

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7
Q

Habitat

A

A habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives.

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8
Q

Population

A

A population is all the members of the same species living in an area.

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9
Q

Community

A

A community is all the different populations in an area.

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10
Q

Abiotic factors

A

Abiotic factors are non-living factors

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11
Q

What is are two abiotic factors, their effect and an example?

A

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

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12
Q

Biotic factors

A

Biotic factors are living factors.

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13
Q

What are two examples of biotic factors, their effects and examples?

A

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

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14
Q

Climatic factors

A

Climatic factors refer to weather over a long period of time.

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15
Q

What are two examples of climatic factors, their effects and examples?

A

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)

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16
Q

Edaphic factors

A

Edaphic factors relate to soil

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17
Q

What are two edaphic factors, their effects and examples?

A

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

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18
Q

What is the planet’s primary source of energy?

A

The sun

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19
Q

What percentage of energy is passed from one trophic level to another?

A

10%

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20
Q

Where does the remaining percentage of energy go to from one tropic level to another?

A

Used by the organism, lost as heat, waste or detritus

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21
Q

What is feeding?

A

Allows energy to flow from one organism to another in an ecosystem

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22
Q

Producers

A

Producers are organisms that carry out photosynthesis.

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23
Q

Consumers

A

Consumers are organisms that take in food from another organism.

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24
Q

Who to primary consumers feed on?

A

Producers

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25
Who do secondary consumers feed on?
Primary consumers
26
Who do tertiary consumers feed on ?
Secondary consumers
27
What do herbivores eat?
Vegetation
28
What do carnivores eat?
Meat
29
What do omnivores eat?
Plants and animals
30
What do decomposers eat?
Dead material/ sources
31
What do scavengers eat?
Dead animals
32
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.
33
What is an example of a food chain with 4 tropic levels?
Leaves - Earthworm - Hedgehog - Fox
34
Trophic level
A trophic level is a feeding stage in a food chain
35
Food web
A food web consists of two or more interlinked food chains.
36
Pyramid of numbers
A pyramid of numbers represents the number of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain.
37
Ecological niche
An ecological niche of an organism is the functional role it plays in the community.
38
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.
39
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.
40
What is the cause of global warming?
Increased combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation etc.
41
What are effects of global warming?
Sea levels rise, Gulf Stream reversed , altered weather patterns
42
What does greenhouse gas mean?
It allows heat radiation from the sun to enter the atmosphere, but doesn’t allow heat rays out
43
Pollution
Any harmful addition to the environment
44
What is an example of domestic pollution?
Littering
45
What is an example of agricultural pollution?
Fertilisers
46
What is an example of industrial pollution?
Smoke
47
Pollutants
Substances that cause pollution
48
What is ozone?
A gas that absorbs UV radiation in the upper atmosphere
49
What is the chemical symbol for ozone?
O3
50
What breaks down ozone?
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
51
What are results of ozone depletion?
Skin cancer, cataracts
52
How is ozone depletion being reduced?
By the introduction of HFCs that decompose before they reach the ozone layer
53
Conservation
The wise management of existing resources, in order to maintain habitats and species
54
What is an example of a conservation problem?
Overfishing
55
What is waste management?
It involves the prevention of pollution and conservation of the environment
56
What is an example of good practice waste management in agriculture?
Slurry is stored and spread on dry land
57
What is an example of good practice waste management in fishing?
Waste products of fish (heads) are neutralised and used as fertiliser or as pig feed
58
What is an example of good practice waste management in forestry?
Parts of the tree are not removed to allow nutrients to return to the soil
59
Eutrophication
The addition of minerals (nitrogen and phosphorus) to fresh water. This leads to a lack of oxygen in the water
60
What is the cause of eutrophication?
Fertiliser
61
What are the steps of eutrophication?
1. Fertilisers run off into fresh water (e.g lake) 2. Fertiliser causes algae blooms 3. Oxygen depletion = fish death
62
Pyramid of numbers
A pyramid of numbers represents the numbers of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain.
63
What happens to the physical size of the organism as you go up the pyramid of numbers?
It gets bigger
64
What are the limitations of the pyramid of numbers?
- Don’t take into account size of organism, normal and inverted pyramids possible - Numbers so great pyramid cannot be drawn to scale e.g millions of greenfly on one oak tree
65
What do birth rates influence?
causing more or less offspring to be produced.
66
What do death rates influence?
causing more or less offspring to die.
67
What are the 4 factors that control populations?
Competition Predation Parasitism Symbiosis
68
Competition
Competition occurs when organisms actively struggle for a resource that is in short supply.
69
What do plants compete for?
Light, space, water, minerals
70
What do animals compete for?
Food, water, shelter, territory, mates
70
Intra-specific competition
Intra-specific competition takes place between members of the same species.
71
Inter-specific competition
Inter-specific competition occurs between members of different species.
72
What adaptations help against competition?
Camouflage, protective coats
73
What are the two types of competition?
Contest and Scramble
74
Contest competition
In contest competition, there is an active physical contest between two individual organisms where one wins. (Usually animals)
75
Why is contest competition better than scramble?
Only the fittest animals can reproduce, improving the species
76
Scramble competition
In scramble competition, all of the competing individuals get some of the resources. (Usually plants)
77
Why is scramble competition worse than contest?
No individual gets enough of the resource, in general reduces population
78
Predation
Predation is the catching, killing and eating of another organism.
79
Predator
A predator is an organism that catches kills and eats another organism.
80
Prey
The prey is the organism that is eaten by the predator
81
How is predator prey relationship used in biological pest control?
E.g ladybirds are used to control aphids
82
What are adaptations of predators?
1. Fox - strong jaw to chew food, excellent vision 2. Hawk - excellent vision to locate prey
83
What are adaptations of prey?
1. Rabbits- long ears to hear predators, eyes at side for peripheral vision 2. Frogs - well camouflaged
84
Parasitism
Parasitism occurs when two organisms of different species live in close association and one organism (the parasite) obtains its food from, and to the disadvantage of, the second organism (the host).
85
Exoparasites
Exoparasites live on the outside of the host. E.g. fleas on a dog, greenfly on rose bush
86
Endoparasites
Endoparasites live inside the host, e.g tapeworms in humans, potato blight
87
How are parasites different from predators?
- being smaller than host - being dependent of particular host - doing only small damage to host
88
Symbiosis
Symbiosis occurs when two organisms of different species live in close association and at least one of them benefits.
89
Mutualism
Both organisms benefit from their association with one another
90
What is an example of mutualism/ symbiosis?
Bacteria in large intestine of humans, produce vitamins B and K, they get food and shelter
91
Population dynamics
Population dynamics refers to the factors that cause population numbers to change.
92
What are three variables in predator-prey interactions?
1. Availability of food 2. Concealment/ camouflage 3. Movement of predators
93
What are factors affecting human population?
War Famine Contraception Disease

[LC Biology] (19 decks)

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