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Biology 🧬 > Ecology (7) > Flashcards

Ecology (7) Flashcards

1
Q

what does biodiversity mean

A

a measure of all the plants and animal species found in an area

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2
Q

what is the definition of ecology

A

the study of living things in their environment

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3
Q

definition of population

A

a group of organisms of the same species living in one particular area e.g. squirrels/magpies/robins/worms

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4
Q

Definition of community

A

populations of many different species living together in a particular area

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5
Q

definition of habitat

A

area in which a community lives

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6
Q

definition of ecosystem

A

an area where a community of organisms live and are affected by a range of environmental factors

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7
Q

name two examples of abiotic (non-living factors) factors

A

temperature
light

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8
Q

what are the two groups that the factors effecting the environment are divided into

A

abiotic factors
biotic factors

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9
Q

name two examples of biotic (living) factors

A

the effect of a predator on its prey
when 2 species compete for food

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10
Q

when recording the plants present in an area, why do we take a sample

A

its impossible to count every plant in an area

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11
Q

what measurement do we use to find a sample

A

a quadrat

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12
Q

when do we use belt transect sampling

A

where there is change from one side of the habitat to another

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13
Q

when do we use random sampling

A

when there’s no clear zones or change in habitat

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14
Q

draw a diagram of the belt transect

A
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15
Q

what does abiotic mean

A

non living

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16
Q

what does biotic mean

A

living

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17
Q

how can wind speed be analysed

A

using an anemometer

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18
Q

how can wind speed affect an environment

A

by spreading seeds e.g. grass

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19
Q

how can we know when soil is completely dry

A

heating to a constant mass

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20
Q

why is a sampling method used instead of counting all the plants in the area

A

its quicker to sample the area

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21
Q

explain why random numbers are used to select the position of each quadrat

A

so there’s no bias (i.e. you count a pile of them)
allows you to count the plants if there are spread out

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22
Q

explain how we know that these results are reliable when using quadrants

A

because they are repeated and averaged

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23
Q

how can we calculate soil moisture levels

A

take soil samples and weigh
dried in an oven until completely dry
reweigh
the difference in mass as a percentage of the original mass gives a value for percentage soil moisture

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24
Q

how can we measure soil pH

A

using testing kits or universal indicators

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25
why is the ph of the soil important in the distribution of many plants
some plants only grow in relatively acid soils e.g. heathers and some will only grow in relatively alkaline soils e.g. some orchids
26
how can we measure light
using light meters
27
28
What do all plants need to photosynthesise?
Light
29
Which plants can survive in very low light areas?
Daffodils and bluebells
30
Fill in the blank: Some plants can survive in very low light areas, including _______ and _______.
Daffodils, bluebells
31
True or False: All plants require high light levels to grow.
False
32
What adaptation do daffodils and bluebells have? (light)
They have adapted to grow in lower light levels.
33
give an example of how the presence of one species interacts with another
competition - they both need to obtain enough of a resource to survive and reproduce
34
give 5 examples of resources plants compete for
- light - water - space - soil nutrients - oxygen (rarely)
35
give 5 examples of resources animals compete for
- food (nutrients) - water - habitat/territory - mates - oxygen (rarely)
36
what do all living organisms need to survive
energy
37
what is the primary source of energy for all eco systems
the sun
38
what are green plants referred to in ecological relationships
producers
39
why are green plants referred to as producers
they are able to use the suns energy to produce food through photosynthesis
40
what are animals that feed on green plants and leaves called + what type of consumers are they
herbivores primary
41
what are animals that eat other animals called + what type of consumers are they
carnivores secondary/tertiary
42
what are animals that eat both animals and plants called
omnivore
43
what is energy flow
the sequence of producers trapping the sun's energy and this energy being passed onto primary, secondary and then tertiary consumers
44
what is a food chain
a sequence or chain of living things through which the energy flow passes
45
draw out the stages in the food chain including the trophic levels
46
what are the four trophic levels
producer primary secondary tertiary
47
what do the arrows in the food chain represent
transfer of energy and nutrients
48
in an ecological pyramid what does the length of the bar represent
the relative number of individuals present
49
where are the producers placed in an ecological pyramid
on the bottom
50
what does the biggest bar mean in an ecological pyramid
the highest number of
51
2 disadvantages to an ecological pyramid
- with some organisms its difficult to determine what represents a single individual e.g. buttercups producing runners -this approach doesn't take into account the size of the organism e.g. 100m tall tree has the same volume as a 5mm long insect
52
what does a pyramid of biomass represent
the total mass of living tissue in the organisms.
53
definition of biomass
mass of living tissue in the organisms
54
how is a pyramid of biomass more accurate
it takes into account the mass and number of the organisms at each trophic level in a food chain
55
disadvantage of pyramid of biomass
biomass is actually the dry mass of the organism therefore some of the organisms from each trophic level must be killed
56
why are most food chains short
because energy is lost at each stage of energy transfer therefore there's little energy left at the top consumer level
57
give 3 reasons why less than 10% of light energy hitting the leaves converted into starch
- some reflects off the waxy cuticle - some misses the chloroplasts and isn't absorbed - energy is lost in photosynthesis reactions (not producing energy)
58
what is the % of transfer of energy between plants&animals (producer - consumer) and between animals (consumer - consumer)
between 10-20% this means that for every 100g of plant material available, only 10-20g is built up as tissue in the herbivores body
59
3 reasons for the loss of energy between plants&animals and between animals
- not all grass can be digested, cellulose in plants ends up as faeces - not all of the plant can be eaten due to being damaged or can't be accessed - energy is lost at each stage is respiration to movement, growth, body heat
60
draw a diagram describing how energy is loss going from a plant to animal
61
label the energy loss diagram
62
name three other carbohydrates found in grass leaves
cellulose glucose starch
63
is glycogen found in plants or animals
animals
64
DO ENERGY FLOW QUESTIONS IN PAST PAPERS
fat bitch
65
DO ENERGY FLOW QUESTIONS IN PAST PAPERS
do it u fat whore (sam won't like u fat)
66
why does a food chain not contain more than 4 organisms
- not enough energy for another trophic level - animal only gets 0.1 units and then uses energy for growth/movement etc
67
which carbohydrate is likely to form the bulk of the faeces produced by the rabbit
cellulose
68
why's there so much

Biology 🧬 (7 decks)

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