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Ecology Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

what is the environment made up of?

A

ecosystems

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2
Q

name some ecosystems

A 
forest 
seashore 
pond 
coral reef
desert
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3
Q

what do all ecosystems contain?

A

habitats - non living

community - living

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4
Q

define population

A

the total number of individuals of one species living in a habitat

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5
Q

what are quadrats used for?

A

to estimate population sizes of plants

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6
Q

using quadrats how do you work out an estimate?

A

find the average number of the plant species in one quadrate, then multiply that number by the number of quadrats that would fit in the whole area.

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7
Q

name some abiotic factors

A 
climate 
temperature 
level ground 
soil type 
direction area is facing 
light intensity 
water
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8
Q

what are abiotic factors?

A

Physical factors that affect the distribution of plants.

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9
Q

what does the distribution of plants affect?

A

where animals live

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10
Q

define biodiversity

A

the range of different species living in a habitat

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11
Q

define distribution

A

where species can be found I’m a habitat

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12
Q

what is a producer?

A

These are organisms that make their own food.

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13
Q

give an example of a producer

A

plants (make their carbohydrates by photosynthesis)

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14
Q

what is a primary consumer?

A

organisms that feed on producers

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15
Q

give an example of a primary consumer

A

herbivores, e.g. sheep

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16
Q

what is a secondary consumer?

A

organisms that feed on primary consumers

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17
Q

give an example of a secondary consumer

A

carnivores, e.g. wolf

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18
Q

what is a tertiary consumer?

A

organisms that feed on secondary consumers

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19
Q

give an example of a tertiary consumer

A

top carnivores, e.g. cougar

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20
Q

what is a predator?

A

an animal that kills other animals (prey) for food

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21
Q

how are predators adapted?

A
  • hunt in packs
  • catch large prey; more for per kill
  • don’t depend on one particular species
  • migrate to areas with lots of their prey
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22
Q

how are prey adapted?

A
  • stay in large groups
  • some taste horrible
  • some have warning colours
  • some are camouflaged
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23
Q

what does dead and decaying material provide food for?

A

decomposers and detrivores

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24
Q

name some examples of decomposers and detrivores

A

worms, dung beetles, fungi

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25
Q

what do all food chains start with?

A

the sun

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26
Q

what is a trophic level?

A

feeding level e.g. primary consumer

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27
Q

what does a pyramid of numbers show?

A

the number of living organisms at each trophic level

- not always pyramid shaped

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28
Q

what do pyramid diagrams show?

A

relative sizes of population at each trophic level

- pyramid shaped

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29
Q

how do you draw a pyramid of biomass?

A

multiply the mass of a single organism by the total number at each level.

30
Q

what are the negatives of biomass pyramids?

A
  • varies with seasons

- mass recored at one instant time does not take into account how fast organisms grow.

31
Q

what does a pyramid of energy show?

A

how much energy is available at each trophic level

32
Q

what is energy shown in?

A

KJ per square metre per year

33
Q

why does not all the energy available get passed onto the next trophic level?

A
  • energy lost as animals move around
  • not all organisms can be eaten
  • not all of the organism can be digested.
  • heat loss
34
Q

why do shorter food chains feed more people?

A

More energy is used when there are more animals in the food chain

35
Q

why is not all of the light energy used in photosynthesis?

A
  • the light may not fall on a plant
  • some light is reflected
  • some light misses the chloroplasts and goes straight through the leaf
36
Q

how do you find out the percentage of energy in sunlight transferred to energy in the green plants.

A

energy in plants / energy from light x 100

37
Q

what is the glucose that is created during photosynthesis used for?

A
  • respiration

- growth

38
Q

what does growth produce?

A

biomass

39
Q

what is the equation for energy intake?

A

energy transfer in respiration + energy transfer into biomass + energy in faeces + energy in urine

40
Q

what are decomposers?

A

bacteria and fungi that feed on dead organic matter. They break down organic molecules and release heat energy.

41
Q

what is the carbon cycle?

A

carbon dioxide in the air is taken up by plants in photosynthesis.
plants use carbon dioxide to make organic molecules
the carbon in plants enters the consumers that eat the plants.

42
Q

what is nitrogen needed for?

A

to make amino acids, protein and DNA

43
Q

what is the nitrogen cycle?

A

nitrogen gas —— nitrates
proteins + waste —– ammonium compounds
ammonium —— nitrates
nitrate —– nitrogen gas

44
Q

what are nitrogen fixing and how do they work?

A

These convert nitrogen in the air to nitrate. These bacteria are found in the soil and root nodules of legumes. The plants use the nitrates to make amino acids.

45
Q

what are decay bacteria and how do they work?

A

These break down dead remains and animal wastes, releasing ammonium compounds into the soil.

46
Q

what are nitrifying bacteria and how to they work?

A

These convert ammonium compounds into nitrates in the soil. The plants can use the nitrates to make amino acids so they can grow.

47
Q

what are denitrifying bacteria and how do they work?

A

These live in water logged soil. They can change nitrates back to nitrogen gas.

48
Q

what is eutrophication?

A

Adding nutrients to the environment (e.g. fertilisers) it can cause the death of organisms in ponds, rivers and lakes.

49
Q

how is carbon monoxide produced and what are its characteristics?

A
  • by incomplete combustion (when fuels are burnt with limited oxygen)
  • in car exhaust gases
  • colourless and no smell
50
Q

how does carbon monoxide affect people?

A

Attaches to haemoglobin instead of oxygen. Therefore not enough oxygen gets to cells for respiration. It can be fatal.

51
Q

how is sulphur dioxide released and what does it produce?

A

Sulphur dioxide is released when fossil fuels are burnt. It reacts with water vapour in clouds to produce acid rain.

52
Q

what are the effects of acid rain?

A
  • kills fish and invertibrates in rivers and lakes
  • damages roots of plants
    • makes soil acidic snd low in nutrients.
53
Q

what is the greenhouse effect?

A

Light energy passes through the atmosphere.
It is absorbed and warms up surfaces.
Heat energy is reflected back into the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases trap the heat energy in the atmosphere

54
Q

what is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

An increase in greenhouse gases due to human activity, this leads to global warming.

55
Q

define global warming

A

An increase in the average global surface temperature of the Earth.

56
Q

what are the greenhouse gases and what is their source?

A
  • water vapour - evaporation from water surfaces
  • carbon dioxide - burning fossil fuels
  • methane - produced by bacteria during anaerobic respiration in - landfill sites - cattle - rice fields
  • nitrous oxide - car exhaust gases
  • CFC’s - air conditioning units
57
Q

name some effects global warming has on the environment

A
  • ice caps and glaciers melt
  • sea levels rise
  • flooding and loss of habitat
  • climate change
58
Q

what do forests balance?

A

help to keep the correct balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere

59
Q

how do forests act as water stores?

A

Their leaves slow down the rate of evaporation and the rate at which water reaches the soil

60
Q

how can deforestation lead to global warming?

A

Destruction of forests leads to an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere therefore contributing to global warming.

61
Q

why are trees being cut down?

A
  • global demand for timber as building supplies
  • demand for paper for newsprint and office consumption
  • clearing of land for farms
  • clearing for construction of new roads
  • to provide charcoal and firewood for fuels
62
Q

how does deforestation cause soil erosion?

A

There are no roots to hold the soil together so soil erosion occurs

63
Q

how does deforestation affect the biodiversity of an area?

A

destruction of large areas leads to loss of habitat epoch had reduced the biodiversity of animals and plants that live there.

64
Q

how can we reverse the damage caused by deforestation?

A
  • reforestation - replanting native trees
  • sustainable management - removing trees but allowing natural replacement
  • recycling and energy conservation - results in a reduced need for ‘new’ sources of timber.
65
Q

what is a biotic factor?

A

factors that affect plants and animals that are to do with biological processes

66
Q

name some biotic factors

A

feeding relationships

competition for resources

67
Q

define leaching

A

when rain washes mineral ions and nutrients out of the soil

68
Q

define soil erosion

A

loss of soil which means that trees are unable to grow in this area.

69
Q

define evapotranspiration

A

The movement of water unto the atmosphere from plants. Reduced if trees are cut down.

70
Q

what is balance of atmospheric gases?

A

deforestation results in a decrease in O2 and an increase in CO2 because there is less photosynthesis.

Biology (20 decks)

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