Ecology

Question 1

What is a habitat ?

Answer 1

A place where organisms live

Question 2

What is population?

Answer 2

All the organisms of on species living in one habitat

Question 3

What is community ?

Answer 3

The populations of different species living in a habitat

Question 4

What is an abiotic factor ?

Answer 4

Non - living factors of the environment

Question 5

What is an Biotic factors ?

Answer 5

Living factors of the environment

Question 6

What is an ecosystem ?

Answer 6

The interaction of a community of a living organisms and non - living organisms parts of their environment

Question 7

What do plants compete for ?

Answer 7

Space
Light
Water & minerals and ions

Question 8

What do animals compete for ?

Answer 8

Territory
Food
Water
Mates

Question 9

What is interdependence ?

Answer 9

In a community when specifies depend on other species for things like food , shelter , pollination and seed dispersal

Question 10

What are some abiotic factors ?

Answer 10

Moisture level 
Light intensity 
Temperature 
Carbon dioxide level (plants) 
Wind intensity and direction 
Oxygen level 
Soil pH and mineral content

Question 11

What can an increase or decrease in an abiotic factor do to the environment ?

Answer 11

The size of population in a community - which also affect the populations sizes of the other organisms that depend on them

Question 12

What are some biotic factors ?

Answer 12

New predators arriving
Competition
New pathogens
Food availability

Question 13

What effect could the introduction of a biotic factor have on the environment ?

Answer 13

Size of populations in a community - can effect interdependence

Question 14

How are Arctic foxes adapted to their environment ?

Answer 14

White fur - camouflage with the snow and can also avoid predators and so they can sneak up on their prey

Question 15

How are whales adapted to their environment ?

Answer 15

Thick layer of blubber

Low surface area to volume ratio - retain heat

Question 16

How are camels adapted to their environment ?

Answer 16

Thin layer of fat

Large surface area to volume ratio - helps lose heat

Question 17

What behavioural adaptations do swallows have ?

Answer 17

Swallows migrate to warmer climates during winter to avid living in colder climates

Question 18

What reproduction and metabolism adaptations do desert animals and brown bears have ?

Answer 18

Desert animals - conserve water by producing little sweat and small amounts of concentrated urine

Brown bears hibernate over winter - they lower their metabolism which conserves energy so they don’t have to hunt when there is not much food

Question 19

How are extremophiles adapted ?

Answer 19

Live at high temperature , pressure and salt concentration

Question 20

What components are food chains made up of ?

Answer 20

Producers
Primary consumers
Secondary consumers

Question 21

What are producers ?

Answer 21

Producers make their own food using energy from the sun

They are normally plants or algae that make glucose by photosynthesis

Question 22

When green plants make glucose what biological molecule do they make ?

Answer 22

Biomass - the mass of living material

Question 23

What happens to the energy store (biomass) inside the plant when it is eaten ?

Answer 23

Transferred into the organism in the Ecosystem when the organism is eaten

Question 24

What happens during the water cycle ?

Answer 24

1) Energy from the sun evaporates water from land and sea turning it into water vapour
2) water from plants evaporates (transpiration)
3) warm water vapour is carried upwards - when it gets higher up it cools can condenses into clouds
4) water falls from clouds as precipitate onto land
5) water can be absorbed by the soil and taken up by plant roots - fresh water for photosynthesis
6) Animals return water to soil through excretion
7) water that isn’t absorbed will surface run off into streams and rivers
8) Drains to the sea and process starts again

Question 25

What happens during the carbon cycle?

Answer 25

1) CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by green plants algae during photosynthesis ( used to make glucose )
2) When the plants respire some CO2 is returned to the atmosphere
3) When plants get eaten by animals it become part of their fats and proteins in their bodies
4) when animals respire , some carbon is returned to the atmosphere
5) when plants and animals die other animals and microorganisms feed on their remains , tpwhen they respite CO2 is returned
6) combustion of wood and fossil fuels releases CO2

Question 26

Why is high biodiversity important ?

Answer 26

Makes sure that ecosystems are stable because species depend on each other
Helps the maintain the physical environment
Humans can survive

Question 27

What effects does the increasing number of humans have on the environment ?

Answer 27

Use more raw materials &Use more energy - take

I got more resources from the environment

Question 28

What types of harmful pollution can humans cause ?

Answer 28

Water - sewage and toxic chemicals polluting rivers , seas , animals and plants . Also harmful chemicals used on plants can be washed into the water .

Land - toxic chemicals for farming , bury nuclear waste underground and dump house hold waste on landfill sites

Air - smoke and acidic gases released into the atmosphere can pollute air causing : smog , sulphur dioxide and acid rain

Question 29

What happens to the earths atmosphere during global warming ?

Answer 29

1) Gases in the atmosphere naturally acts like an insulating layer they absorb most of the energy normally radiated out into space -this increases the temperature of the planet . However if it didn’t happen it would make it very cold

Question 30

What are the consequences of global warming ?

Answer 30

High temp - causes sea water to expand and ice to melt which makes sea water rise
The distribution of wild animals and plants may change as the temperature increases and the amount of rainfall
Change in migration patterns
Biodiversity could be reduced if some species are unable to survive

Question 31

What do humans use land for ?

Answer 31

Building
Quarrying
Farming
Dumping waste

Question 32

Why do people deforestate ?

Answer 32

Clear land for farming to provide more food
Grow crops
Buildings

Question 33

What are the problems with deforestation ?

Answer 33

Less carbon dioxide is taken in by trees meaning that photosynthesis is reduced . Also more carbon dioxide is releases when the trees are cut down
More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Loss of biodiversity

Question 34

What are peat bogs ?

Answer 34

Bogs are areas of land that are acidic and waterlogged . Plants that live in bogs don’t decay full - these partly rotted plants gradually build up to make peat

Question 35

What would destroying peat bogs do to the environment ?

Answer 35

When they are drained the microorganism respire and real ease carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is released when the peat is burnt
Destroying e bogs can also destroy the habitats which also reduces biodiversity

Question 36

What programmes can be introduced to protect ecosystems and biodiversity ?

Answer 36

Breeding programmes for endangered species from becoming extinct
To protect and regenerate rare habitats - to preserve the ecosystem there and the biodiversity
The government introduced a programme to reduced the level of deforestation and the amount of CO2 produced by business
People are told to reduce the amount of their waste that goes to landfill

Question 37

How can biodiversity be maintained ?

Answer 37

Pay farmers subsidy to grown hedgerow - also costs money to ensure and watch that the farmers are maintaining their hedgerows

Reducing the amount of deforestation - however can make employed people become unemployed