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Biology Paper 2 > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a biotic factor?

A 
Living factors of the environment 
eg 
-food 
-new Predators arriving 
-new pathogens 
-one species outcompeting another
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2
Q

What is an abiotic factor?

A 
Non-living factors of the environment
 eg temperature 
Light intensity 
Moisture level
Soil pH
Oxygen levels
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3
Q

What is interdependence?

A

In a community, each species depends on the other species for things such as food, shelter, pollination and seed dispersal

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4
Q

What will happen if there is a change in abiotic factors?

A

A change in the environment could be an increase or decrease in an abiotic factor which can affect the sizes of populations in a community

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5
Q

What would happen if there was a decrease in light intensity, temperature or levels of CO2?

A

It could decrease the rate of photosynthesis of a plant species because enzymes it needs for photosynthesis could be denatured if too hot

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6
Q

What could happen if you decrease the mineral content of the soil?

A

Could cause nutrient deficiencies in a species of a plant which could affect the growth of a plant and cause a decrease in the population size

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7
Q

How are polar bears adapted to live in a cold, Arctic environment?

A
  • thick layer of black blubber under their fur coat
  • thick fur keeps them insulated and camouflaged with snow
  • small ears to retain heat and decrease amount of heat loss
  • their behaviour
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8
Q

What is a structural adaptation?

A

Features of an organisms body structure such as the shape or colour

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9
Q

What is a behavioural adaptation?

A

The way organisms behave. Many species will migrate to warmer climates during winter to avoid cold conditions

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10
Q

What is a functional adaptation?

A

Things that go on inside an organisms body that can be related to processes such as reproduction and metabolism

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11
Q

What is an organism that lives in extreme conditions?

A

An extremophile

Eg bacteria in deep sea vents

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12
Q

What is a producer in a food chain?

A

-at the start of the food chain
-produce their own food using energy from the sun
Eg green plants or algae- use photosynthesis

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13
Q

How is biomass created?

A
  • when a greenplant produces glucose, some of it is used to make other biological molecules in the plant
  • these molecules are the plants biomass-the mass of living material
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14
Q

How is energy transferred in an ecosystem?

A

It is transferred through living organisms in an ecosystem when organism eat other organisms

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15
Q

What is a food chain made up of?

A

Producers –> primary consumers –> secondary consumers –> tertiary consumers

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16
Q

What limits the population of any species?

A

It is usually limited by the amount of food available.

  • if population of prey increases, then so will the population of predators.
  • if population of predators increases, the number of prey will increase
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17
Q

What is the purpose of a quadrat?

A

It compares how common an organism is in two sample areas

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18
Q

How is a quadrat used?

A
  • place it on the ground at a random point within first sample area
  • count all organisms within the quadrat
  • repeat these steps many times
  • work out the mean number of organisms per quadrat in first sample area
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19
Q

What is the abundance?

A

The population size of an organism

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20
Q

What is the distribution?

A

Where an organism is found

  • can use quadrats and compare
  • can use transects
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21
Q

What is the purpose of a transect?

A

To find out how organisms(like plants) are distributed across an area
-can be used in any ecosystem

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22
Q

How is a transect used?

A
  • mark out a line in the area you want to study using a tape measure
  • collect data along the line by counting all the organisms you’re studying that touch the line
  • or you can collect data by using a Quadrat
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23
Q

How do you work out the percentage cover of a quadrat?

A
  • count the number of squares covered by the organism (Has to be more than half covered for a square)
  • make this into a percentage and divide by the total number of squares in the quadrat
  • multiply by 100 to get your percentage %
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24
Q

Which environmental changes affect the distribution of organisms?

A
  • temperature
  • availability of water-little rainfall means less water available
  • composition of atmospheric gases- more air pollution affects this
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25
Q

How does the water cycle work?

A
  • energy from sun makes water evaporate from sea turning it into water vapour
  • warm water vapour is carried upwards and it eventually cools and condenses to form clouds
  • water falls from clouds as precipitation (rain, snow, or hail) onto land where it provides fresh water for plants and animals
  • then drains back into the sea and process starts again
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26
Q

What does the water cycle enable?

A

Means that the water on planet earth is constantly recycled and so there is an endless water supply
-continuous process

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27
Q

Why do materials decay?

A

They’re digested by microorganism which happens faster in warmer, aerobic conditions

28
Q

What happens to materials in a stable community?

A

Materials that are taken out of the soil and used by plants are balanced by those that are put back in. There’s a constant cycle happening

29
Q

How does the carbon cycle work?

A
  • Atmospheric Co2 is removed from atmosphere by green plants and algae during photosynthesis
  • carbon is used to make glucose that makes up the bodies of algae and plants
  • when plants and algae respire, some carbon is returned to atmosphere as Co2
  • when algae and plants are eaten by animals, some carbon becomes part of fats and proteins in their bodies and so carbon moves through food chain
  • when animals respire, some carbon is returned to atmosphere as Co2
  • when animals die, deritus feeders and microorganisms feed on them and so CO2 is returned to atmosphere when they respire.
  • combustion of fossil fuels and wood releases CO2 back into environment and cycle starts again
30
Q

What role do deritus feeders play in the carbon cycle?

A
  • when plants, algae and animals die, animals and microorganisms feed on their remains. When these animals respire, CO2 is returned to atmosphere
  • deritus feeders and microorganisms break down waste that is produced by animals
31
Q

What is the carbon cycle?

A

Where carbon and energy is constantly being cycled from the air, through food chains, and is then returned out into the air again

32
Q

How does water move from plants into the air in the water cycle?

A

By the process of transpiration / water is evaporated from the plants

33
Q

How is compost produced?

A
  • by decomposition
  • it is decomposed organic matter (food waste) that is used as a natural fertiliser for crops and garden plants
  • farmers try to provide ideal conditions for quick decay
34
Q

Which microorganisms are responsible for decomposition (decay) ?

A
  • bacteria and fungi

- deritus feeders

35
Q

How does temperature affect the rate of decay?

A
  • warmer temp increases rate of decay as it increases rate that enzymes work at
  • very cold temperatures slow rate of decay
36
Q

How does water availability affect rate of decay?

A

-decay takes place faster in moist environments because organisms need water

37
Q

How does oxygen availability affect rate of decay?

A

-many organisms need oxygen to respire which they need to do to survive

38
Q

How does the number of decay organisms affect the rate of decay?

A

-the more microorganisms and deritus feeders there are, the faster decomposition happens

39
Q

What is biogas?

A
  • mainly made up of methane which can be burned as fuel
  • lots of different microorganisms are used to produce biogas
  • they decay plant and animal waste anaerobically
40
Q

How is biogas created?

A
  • made in a simple fermenter called a digester or generator

- need to be kept at constant temperature to keep microorganisms respiring

41
Q

What is the purpose of biogas generators?

A

They can be used to produce methane gas as a fuel

42
Q

How do you calculate the rate of decay?

A

Rate (s-1) = 1000/ time

43
Q

What can biogas be used for?

A
  • has to be used straight away
  • heating
  • cooking
  • lighting
  • power turbine / generate electricity
44
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

The variety of different species of organisms on Earth, or within an ecosystem

45
Q

Why is high biodiversity important?

A
  • makes sure ecosystems are stable because different species depend on each other for shelter /food
  • enables human species to survive
46
Q

How is human action reducing biodiversity?

A
  • waste production
  • deforestation
  • global warming
47
Q

How does water affect biodiversity?

A
  • sewage and toxic chemicals from industry can pollute lakes, affecting animals and plants that rely on them for survival
  • chemicals used on land can be washed into water
48
Q

How does land affect biodiversity?

A
  • toxic chemicals used for farming (pesticides and herbicides)
  • bury nuclear waste underground and dump household waste in landfill sites
49
Q

How does the air affect biodiversity?

A

-smoke and acidic gases released into the atmosphere can pollute the air
eg sulfur dioxide can cause acid rain

50
Q

How is the temperature of the earth decided?

A

It is the balance between the energy it gets from the sun and the energy it radiates back out into space

51
Q

What do greenhouse gases do?

A

They cause they earth to gradually heat up which causes global warming. It is a type of climate change

52
Q

What happens when peat bogs are drained and peat is used as fuel?

A
  • when peat is drained, it comes into contact with more air and some microorganisms start to decompose it
  • when microorganisms respire, they use oxygen and release CO2 which contributes to global warming
  • CO2 is also released when peat is burned as a fuel
53
Q

Why is deforestation a problem?

A
  • less CO2 taken in > less photosynthesis
  • more CO2 in atmosphere when trees are burnt
  • less biodiversity > species may become extinct due to loss of habitat
54
Q

How is damage being minimised to ecosystems and biodiversity?

A
  • breeding programmes to prevent extinction
  • habitat protection
  • preventing global warming-reduce level of deforestation and CO2 levels being released
  • reducing waste-recycling
55
Q

Who is responsible for decomposition?

A
  • Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi

- deritus feeders

56
Q

What conditions does decomposition (decay) work best in?

Temp, water, oxygen availability, number of decay organisms

A
  • warmer temp increases rate that enzymes in he process work at
  • decay takes place faster in moist environments because organisms involved need water to carry out biological processes
  • many organisms need oxygen to respire (aerobic conditions)
  • the more deritus feeders and microorganisms there are, the faster decomposition happens
57
Q

What are the trophic levels?

A
  • trophic level 1- producers
  • trophic level 2- primary consumers (herbivores)
  • trophic level 3-secondary consumers (predators)
  • trophic level 4- tertiary consumers
58
Q

How does a loss of biomass at each trophic level affect the number of organisms at each level?

A

If there is a loss of biomass, less food will be available at each level which means that the number or organisms will decrease

59
Q

What does a pyramid of biomass show?

A
  • each bar shows relative mass of living material at trophic level
  • always pyramid shaped
60
Q

How do you calculate the efficiency of biomass transfer?

A

Biomass transferred to next level/ biomass available at previous level X 100

61
Q

What is food security?

A

Having enough food to feed a population

62
Q

How is food security being threatened?

A
  • world population increasing quickly
  • farming can be affected by new pests and pathogens or changes in environmental conditions
  • high demand for foods to be imported and resources can become scarce
63
Q

How can food production be made more efficient?

A
  • limiting movement of livestock keeping them in temp controlled environment
  • reduces transfer of energy from livestock to environment
  • animals use less energy moving around
  • more energy used for growth so more food can be produced
64
Q

What is mycoprotein?

A
  • used to make high protein meat substitutes for vegetarian meals
  • fungal biomass is harvested and purified to produce mycoprotein
65
Q

How do fishing quotas limit overfishing?

A
  • prevents a certain species from being overfished
  • using a bigger mesh size will let the ‘unwanted’ species escape
  • young fish will slip through net so they reach breeding age
66
Q

How are humans classified using the Binomial naming system?

A 
Kingdom     King
Phylum       Prawn
Class           Curry
Order          Or
Family         Fat
Genus         Greasy
Species       Sausage

Biology Paper 2 (3 decks)

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