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Biology > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

What is ecology?

A

Study of living organisms, their interactions with eachother and their abiotic environment

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2
Q

What is the environment?

A

External factors that influence an organism

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3
Q

What is the biosphere and what does it include?

A

Part of the earth inhabited by living organisms

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4
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

It’s a community of organisms and their abiotic environment

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5
Q

What is the relation between the biosphere and ecosystems?

A

Biosphere consists of many large ecosystems

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6
Q

Give an example of an ecosystem and a feature and a location

A

Desert, Low rainfall, Sahara desert
Hedgerow, Warm summer, plentiful rain, Ireland
Marine, salt water, oceans

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7
Q

What is a habitat?

A

Is the place where an organism lives and to which it is adapted

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8
Q

What does the study of a local habitat give us?

A

Representation of how ecosystem works

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9
Q

What is a population?

A

Group of individuals of the same species living and breeding in the same habitat

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10
Q

What is a community?

A

Population of different species living and interacting with each other in the same habitat

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11
Q

What are abiotic factors?

A

Non living factors

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12
Q

Example and effect of abiotic factor

A 
Aspect - direction surface faces
North facing - cooler
South facing - warmer
More plants grow on south facing 
Altitude - height above sea level 
Higher - cooler, wetter, windier
Trees cannot live here
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13
Q

What are biotic factors?

A

Living factors

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14
Q

Give examples and effects of biotic factors

A

Food - more food available, greater number. Number of berries affects number of blackbirds
Competition - right for scarce resources such as food, space, mates
Rabbits compete with eachother for food
Predation - reduce numbers of prey, foxes and rabbits
Humans - positive or negative affect
Positive - new parks form new environment
Negative - pollution

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15
Q

What are climatic factors and give examples

A

Refer to weather over a long period of time
Temperature - affects rate of reactions in living things,
Higher - rapid plant growth
Lower - hibernation
Rainfall - water is essential for life, tropical rain forests high and regular rainfall
Light intensity - affects rate of photosynthesis, trees grow tall to get more light

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16
Q

What are edaphic factors and give examples

A

Relate to soil
Soil PH - adapted to specific PH values
Acid soils - bogs
Neutral soils - most plants
Alkaline soils -bee orchid
Water content - absorbed by roots and are needed by plants for transpiration and photosynthesis
Air content - provides oxygen - lack of oxygen in soil prevents organism growth

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17
Q

Why is temperature not important in an aquatic environment?

A

It doesn’t vary so rapidly

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18
Q

Special factors in aquatic environments

A

Light - water can enter free which means plants are limited to upper layers of water
Currents - cause plants to be carried away, animals are adapted
Wave action - waves create currents and also cause damage to organisms. Animals are protected by shells
Salt content - organisms are adapted to either fresh water or salt water, if external solution is unsustainable, they have problems with osmoregulation
Oxygen concentration - it’s lower in water than in air, must be able to extract oxygen for water [gills]

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19
Q

What are producers and give an example

A

They are organisms that makes its own food

plant

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20
Q

Where is energy stored in plants?

A

Chemical bonds in eg, Glucose and starch

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21
Q

What percentage of energy is passed on to other organism?

A

10%

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22
Q

What are consumers

A

Organisms that take in food from another organism

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23
Q

What are primary consumers?

A

feed on producers [include herbivores and decomposers]

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24
Q

What are secondary consumers?

A

Animals that feed on primary consumers

[carnivores and scavengers]

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25
Q

What are scavengers?

A

Feed on animals killed by other sources

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26
Q

What are tertiary consumers?

A

They feed on secondary consumers and no other organism feeds on them.

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27
Q

What is a food chain?

A

It’s a sequence of organisms in which one is eaten by the next member in the chain

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28
Q

What is a detritus food chain?

A

Where the chain begins with dead organic matter

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29
Q

Give an example of a detritus food chain

A

Fallen leaves - earthworms - blackbird - hawk

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30
Q

Grassland example of food chain

A

Buttercup - Caterpillar - blackbird - Fox

Producer - primary consumer - secondary consumer - tertiary consumer

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31
Q

What is a trophic level?

A

Position of a species in a food chain

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32
Q

Trophic level

A

Producers - 1st trophic level

Primary consumers - 2nd trophic level

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33
Q

What can take food from each trophic level?

A

Scavengers, decomposers or detritus feeders

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34
Q

Where does energy go?

A

10% passed on to next trophic level, 90% is lost in waste and heat loss

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35
Q

What limits the length of the food chain?

A

Amount of energy passing along a food chain decreases from one trophic level to the next

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36
Q

What is a food web?

A

It consists of two or more interlinked food chains

[show flow of energy]

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37
Q

What is a pyramid of numbers

A

Diagram that represents the number of organisms at each trophic level in a food chain

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38
Q

Why does great pyramid invert as you go up?

A

Due to high energy loss at each trophic level and the fact that organisms usually increase in size the further up the food chain

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39
Q

What is a niche?

A

It’s the functional role an organism plays in an ecosystem

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40
Q

What does an organisms niche include?

A

What it eats, what it is eaten by and how it interacts with other organisms and abiotic environment

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41
Q

Why can’t two species with identical niches survive long in same habitat?

A 
They would both compete in some way
Eg, swallows, thrushes and blackbirds
Occupy different niches
Swallow - aerial insects
Thrush - ground insects
Blackbirds - insects from trees but mostly fruit and worms
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42
Q

What is nutrient recycling?

A

It’s the way in which elements are exchanged between living and non living components of an ecosystem

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43
Q

Roles of organisms in the carbon cycle

A

Plants
Animals
Micro-organisms

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44
Q

Role of plants in carbon cycle

A

Remove carbon from environment in photosynthesis and return it in respiration

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45
Q

Role of animals in carbon cycle

A

Obtain carbon by eating plants and release carbon in respiration

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46
Q

Role of micro organisms in carbon cycle?

A

Return carbon to the environment when they decompose dead plants and animals

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47
Q

What is global warming?

A

Caused by Concentration of carbon dioxide in atmosphere rising dude to increased combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation

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48
Q

Carbon dioxide is a green house gas. What does this mean

A

It allows heat radiation from the sun to pass into earths atmosphere, but does not allow reflected heat rays back out

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49
Q

Effects of global warming

A

Sea levels may rise due to ice melting and expansion of hot water = flooding
Weather patterns may alter = affect wildlife and agriculture

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50
Q

What is the function of the nitrogen cycle?

A

Take nitrogen from the air and make it available for use by living things

51
Q

Why do living things need nitrogen?

A

To make proteins, DNA, RNA

52
Q

Features of nitrogen cycle

A
  1. Nitrogen from atmosphere can’t be used
  2. Nitrogen fixation
  3. Decomposition
  4. Nitrification
  5. Denitrification
53
Q

What is nitrogen fixation and what kind of process is it?

A

Conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia, ammonium or nitrate

Anaerobic process

54
Q

What occurs in decomposition?

A

Release ammonia into the soil

55
Q

What is Nitrification?

A

Conversion of ammonia and ammonium compounds to nitrite and then to nitrate Some of nitrate is absorbed

56
Q

Denitrification

A

Conversion of nitrates to nitrogen gas

Anaerobic

57
Q

Role of bacteria in nitrogen cycle

A

Nitrogen fixing bacteria
Bacteria of decay
Nitrifying bacteria
Denitrifying bacteria

58
Q

Role of fungi in nitrogen cycle

A

Fungi of decay

59
Q

Role of plants in nitrogen cycle

A

Absorb nitrates from soil and use nitrogen to from proteins

60
Q

Role of animals in nitrogen cycle

A

Consume plants and use their nitrogen to form animal protein

61
Q

Two biological similarities between nitrogen cycle and carbon cycle

A

1) depended on both animals and plants

2) decaying micro organisms present in both

62
Q

What is pollution?

A

Any harmful edition to the environment

63
Q

How does pollution arise?

A

Human activity - dumping, littering

64
Q

What are pollutants?

A

Substances that cause pollution

65
Q

State an effect of a named pollutant

A

Pollutant - Disposal of slurry

Effect - Eutrophication [excess plant growth in lakes due to extra nutrients in slurry]

66
Q

Area of effect for slurry

A

Rivers and lakes

67
Q

What is the impact of slurry

A

Eutrophication - excess plant growth in lakes caused by extra nutrients in slurry.
When algae die, they are decomposed by bacteria and the bacteria use up oxygen in respiration that kills animals that live in lake

68
Q

How to control it

A

Only spread slurry when land and weather is dry to prevent the slurry running off the land and into the water

69
Q

What is conservation?

A

Wise management of our existing natural resources

70
Q

Benefits of conservation

A

Prevents organisms from becoming extinct
Maintains balance of nature
Organisms may be found to be useful in future

71
Q

Example of conservation practice in agriculture

A

Only spread slurry weather is dry = prevent eutrophication

72
Q

Waste management

A

Eutrophication slurry

73
Q

Problem associated with waste disposal of slurry

A

Nutrients = death

74
Q

Problem with landfill

A

Attracts rats and gulls and can be smelly

75
Q

Importance of waste minimalisation

A

Landfills are running out of space

Need to conserve limited resources

76
Q

What is the solution of waste production?

A

Reduce - reduce consumption of goods not needed
reuse - glass bottles
recycle - recycled paper
Role of micro organisms

77
Q

What is the importance of nutrients recycled in nature?

A

So can be reused by other organisms

78
Q

Mention one role of animals, other than consumers, in the nitrogen cycle

A

Excrete nitrogen compounds

79
Q

Name the family of plants which have a symbotic relationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria

A

Legumes

80
Q

What is the role of modern fertilisers in the nitrogen cycle

A

Supply nitrate

81
Q

TROPHIC LEVEL
A->B>C->D

Which letter represents the secondary consumer?

A

C

82
Q

TROPHIC LEVEL
A->B>C->D

Give a possible reason why the population of C may decline naturally

A

Disease
Lack of food
Migration
Increase of D

83
Q

TROPHIC LEVEL
A->B>C->D

Suggest a possible consequence for the population of A if the population of C was significantly reduced

A

Fall - B would increase and eat large amount of A

84
Q

TROPHIC LEVEL
A->B>C->D

Suggest how members of species D might respond, if population C was reduced

A

Migrate

85
Q

A food web is a series of interconnected food chains. Suggest how it may be possible for the secondary consumer to be a primary consumer in another food chain

A

Omnivore

86
Q

What percentage of light is used to make food in plants

A

1%

87
Q

What’s a herbivore and give an example

A

An animal which eats plants only eg, rabbit

88
Q

What’s a carnivore and give an example

A

An animal which eats meat only eg, fox

89
Q

What’s an omnivore and give an example

A

An animal which eats both plant and animals eg, blackbird

90
Q

Why are pyramid of numbers limited?

A

The size of organisms can change the standard shape or it may not be possible to represent large number of organisms correctly

91
Q

Name the process that takes place in plants to which energy is converted to a usable form

A

Photosynthesis

92
Q

What substance do plants possess that allows them to carry out this conversion

A

Chlorophyll in chloroplasts

93
Q

Give an example of a food web

A

Hawk
Blackbird
Caterpillar Slug
Dock leaves

94
Q

Describe three benefits of practising conservation

A

Prevents extinction of species
Decreases pollution
Maintains biodiversity
Preserves habitats

95
Q

A new waste-to-energy incinerator is currently being built in poolbeg, dublin which will generate energy from domestic waste that cannot be reused or recycled
Suggest two reasons why this new incinerator is located in Dublin

A

It has a large population and therefore has
A lot of waste
High demand for energy

96
Q

Give one advantage and one disadvantage of incineration in waste disposal

A

Advantage - amount of waste reduced

Disadvantage - harmful products produced

97
Q

What is the main role of micro-organisms in waste disposal?

A

Decomposes

98
Q

Explain what Fauna and flora is in ecology

A

Fauna - Animals

Flora - Plants

99
Q

Using your knowledge of ecology, suggest why caution is advised regarding the release of non-native animals into the Irish countryside

A

Can become pests

Can spread disease

100
Q

Using your knowledge of ecology, suggest why caution is advised regarding using fishing nets of very small mesh size

A

Reduced reproduction rates as young fish are trapped

101
Q

Using your knowledge of ecology, suggest why caution is advised regarding hedgerow cutting in spring and summer

A

Disrupts nesting and endangers animals

102
Q

Where in a food chain are primary producers found?

A

First trophic level

103
Q

What term is used to describe organisms that feed on primary producers?

A

Primary consumers / herbivores

104
Q

Why are most food chains short?

A

Only small amount of energy passed

105
Q

What deduction may be made if the organisms at the start of the chain are less numerous than those that feed upon them

A

They are large

Parasites are the primary consumers

106
Q

Can a parasite be the first member of a food chain and explain your answer

A

No, they are not producers. They are consumers

107
Q

Energy enters food chains in the form of light. In which from is most energy lost from food chains

A

Heat

108
Q

State one benefit of a plant gong off strong smells

A

Repulsion/ Attraction

109
Q

Suggest why continual monitoring of the environment is valuable

A

To be able to detect changes and remedy effect of change

110
Q

Distinguish between edaphic and aquatic

A

Edaphic -to do with soil

Aquatic - to do with water

111
Q

Distinguish between climate and weather

A

Climate is long term prevailing conditions

Weather is short term atmospheric conditions

112
Q

Suggest a reason why nature reserves are important for conservation

A

Allow species to develop

Prevent extinction

113
Q

Distinguish between a food chain and a food web

A

Food chain - sequence of organisms where the organism is eaten by the next one and there is only one species per trophic level
Food web - interlinked food chains where there is more than one species per trophic level

114
Q

Suggest a reason for attempting to establish an exotic species in a new country

A

Biological control

Good source

115
Q

Suggest two reasons why the great majority of attempted introductions have been unsuccessful

A

Failure to adapt
Prayed upon
Competition

116
Q

Use your knowledge of the life cycle of flowering plants to suggest how an exotic plant may escape from captivity

A

Seed dispersal

117
Q

Suggest how the introduction of an exotic species may have a negative impact on an existing community

A

Competition

Predation

118
Q

Suggest how the introduction of an exotic species may have a positive impact on an existing community

A

Control of nuisance species

Food

119
Q

Do herbivores in an ecosystem normally live long lives?

A

No, they are eaten by secondary consumer

120
Q

Why is the only remaining natural ecosystems in Ireland are ones for which mankind has no use

A

No economic value

121
Q

Suggest an advantage to the fox in being “nocturnal in habit”

A

Avoids competition
Enhances survival
Less visible

122
Q

Give one example of the use of micro-organisms in waste management

A

Landfill sites

Compost heaps

123
Q

Outline the problems associated with the disposal of waste

A

No landfills available

Incineration releases toxins

Biology (36 decks)

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