ECOLOGY Flashcards
what is an ecosystem
an ecosystem is the interaction of a community of living organisms with the non living elements of their environments
what is the source of energy in an ecosystem
the sun
what is recycled through an ecosystem
carbon, nitrogen and water
give an example of a resource for which animals compete for in a community
food
what is interdependence
if one species is removed from a community it can affect the whole community
what is a stable community
a stable community is one in whuch all the species and environmental factors are in balance so that population sizes remain fairly constant
examples of stable communities
tropical rainforests
mature oak woodlands
mature coral reefs
abiotic factors that affect communities of organisms
light intensity
temperature
wind intensity and direction
biotic factors that affect communities of organisms
availability of food
new predators arriving
new competitors
what can quantitative data be used to describe
how physical factors might be affecting where organisms live in an environment
how can quantitative data be obtained
by random quantitative sampling using a quadrat or sampling along a transect
what is quadrat
a square frame that may also be divided into a grid
what is a transect
a line drawn between two points to make ecological measurements
what do animals compete for
food
mates
territories
what do predators compete with eachother for
they compete withother for prey
why do animals need a territory
so that they can find enough food and water, they also need space or shelter to protect their young ones
some caterpillars are not poisonous but predators avoid them why
the predator is put off by the warning colour of the caterpillar which may be the same colour as the poisonous one
what do plants compete for
light
space
water and mineral ions
what adaptations do plants have that make them good competitors
plants that grow deep roots can reach underground water better than those shallow roots
why do plants try to spread their seeds as far as possible
to reduce competition for light, water, mineral ions and space
what is an adaptation
a feature that allows an organism to live in its normal environment
what are extremophiles
are organisms that live in extreme environmental conditions such as extremely cold, extremely hot, very slaty or at high pressure
how have animals in cold climates adapted
have thick fur
have fat
which keeps them warm
how have animals adapted in hot climates
they are adapted to conserve water and to stop them getting to hot
how do bigger animals conserve more energy
they have a low surface area to volume ratio, but it is difficult for them to cool down
what do plants need to survive
light
water
space
mineral ions
how can water be conserved in a plant
if they have very small or waxy leaves
how do plants lose water
they lose water as water vapour through their stomata
how have plants been adapted so that animals do not come near
thorns
poisonous chemicals
warning colours
what is a community
is made up of the populations of different species of animals and plants that are all interdependent
why are there few animals living in cold areas like the artic
very few plants grow there and plants that do are very small
they produce little food for herbivores so there are few carnivores
describe and explain the effects of predators to a new community
new predators eat prey so there will be less food for other carninvores
the number of prey will therefore go down and the number of predators will also go down
this could increase the plant populations as there would be fewer herbivores to eat them
plant adaptations
waxy cuticles
stomata on the undersides of leaves
the ability to wilt to reduce the surface area exposed
small spine like leaves
what is a biotic factor
living factors
what is an abiotic factor
a non living factor
what are structural adaptations
features of an organisms body structure
what are behavioural adaptations
migration to warmer or climates
what are functional adaptations
producing little sweat to conserve water
hibernation to conserve energy
