Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
Ecology is the study of plants,animals and their environment, and the relationship between them
Environment
The environment is everything that surrounds an animal or plant (for example air, water, rocks and soil)
Habitat
The habitat is the place where a plant or animal lives
Different types of habitat
Each habitat has its own community of organisms. Community is all the different populations that live in the habitat. E.g hedgehogs, snails, foxes and primroses belong to the Woodland habitat.
Interdependence
Interdependence is how organisms depend on each other for their survival. Buttercups depend on bees (for food), bees need buttercups (for pollination).
Ecosystem
All the plants and animals in an area interacting with each other and their environment. E.g. desert, tropical rainforest, grasslands, seashore.
Biome
An ecosystem that extends over a very large area is called a biome. E.g. rainforest.
Biosphere
All of the Earth’s ecosystems together form one large ecosystem known as the biosphere.
Producer
Plants that make their own food e.g. grass, dandelion, nettles
Consumer
Animals that get their food by eating plants or other animals
Herbivore
An animal that eats plants only e.g. rabbit, sheep, slug, snail
Carnivore
An animal that eats other animals only e.g. fox, hawk, ladybird
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals e.g. badger, thrush, blackbird, humans.
Decomposer
Organisms that feed on dead plants and animals e.g. earthworms, bacteria, fungi. (Decomposers are very important as they break down dead things and release lots of minerals into the soil).
Food chains
A food chain shows how one organism eats another and so on. Food chains must start with green plants because they are the only things that can make food.
Feeding levels
The position of an organism in the food chain is called its feeding level. The amount of energy gets less and less as you go along the food chain.
Food web
A food web is two or more interconnected food chains
Competition
Competition occurs when two or more organisms seek a resource that is limited. Plants compete for light, Waterman’s minerals and space. Animals compete for food, shelter, territory and mates.
Adaptions
Adaptations are features that give an organism a better chance of surviving in their habitat
Dandelion adaptation
The dandelion has a long root which means it reaches below the short root of grass to get water. Dandelions are able to compete for space because they are able to spread their seeds in the wind.
Abiotic and Biotic Factors
Abiotic factors are non-living. E.g. weather (temperature, light intensity, rainfall, wind), soil and type of landscape. Biotic Factors are living. E.g. competition, predation, symbiosis.
Abiotic and Biotic Factors
Predation controls the number of organisms in an ecosystem. E.g. ladybirds eat aphids, lions eat zebras. Symbiosis is a relationship between organisms of different species where at least one benefits. E.g. cleaner fish eat parasites out of the mouths of eels
Population
All of the individual organisms of the same species in a habitat.
Community
All of the different populations that live in a habitat.
Ecosystem
A group of organisms interacting with each other and their environment.
Balance of nature
Over time, the number and types of species in an ecosystem reach a steady state known as the balance of nature.
Biome
An ecosystem that extends over a very large area.
Predation
Controls the number of organisms in an ecosystem through the preying of some animals on others.
Symbiosis
A relationship between organisms of different species where at least one benefits. The other organism may be unaffected, harmed or also benefit.
Qualitative survey
A list of the different species in a habitat
Quadrat
A square frame made of metal, plastic or wood that is used during quantitative surveys of habitats
Identification key
Used to identify an unknown animal or plant during a habitat study
Quantitative survey
Numerical data about the species in a habitat
Frequency (habitat survey)
The percentage chance of a particular species being present in a randomly chosen quadrat
Percentage cover
The proportion of ground covered by plants or animals. Percentage cover may be calculated during a quantitative survey of a habitat.
Conservation
Conservation is the protection, preservation and careful use of our natural resources
Our natural resources
Our natural resources include land, rivers, seas, plants and animals
Pollution
Pollution is adding unwanted wastes to the environment causing damage to it
3 types of pollution
- Air pollution: caused by smoke, dust and harmful gases- most of these come from cars, buses, factories and power stations
Fossil fuels
When fossil fuels are burned they produce gases called carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. These dissolve in rainwater to form carbonic acid and sulfuric acid. This acid rain damages plants and buildings
Soil pollution
Caused by pesticides, articulated fertilisers and acid rain
Water pollution
Rivers, lakes and seas are polluted by fertilisers, sewage, oil and detergents. Fertilisers seep into rivers and cause too much plant growth, bacteria populations boom as they feed on dead plants and no oxygen is left for fish
How do we deal with waste?
Incineration- burning the waste, this can release dangerous gases into the atmosphere, difficulties with location nobody wants to live near an incinerator
Landfill
Landfill- burying the waste in ground- damages soil, rivers and ground water, attracts rodents, diseases causing, bad smell, difficulties as nobody wants to live near landfill sites
3 R’s
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Recycling
Paper, glass, some metals and plastics can be processed and reused
