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Ecology Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is ecology?

A

Ecology is the study of how living things relate to each other and their environment.

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2
Q

What is an environment?

A

An environment is all the conditions in which organisms live, which effects the growth and development of the organisms.

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3
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with one another and their non-living environment within a particular area.

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4
Q

How do you study an ecosystem?

A

Divide the area into habitats.

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5
Q

What is a bio-sphere?

A

The biosphere is that part of the earth inhabited by living organisms including land, ocean and atmosphere in which life can exist.

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6
Q

What is a habitat?

A

The particular place within an ecosystem where an organism lives and has adapted too (e.g. Colour).

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7
Q

What is a niche?

A

A niche is the fundamental role of an organism in an ecosystem.

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8
Q

What are the four environmental factors?

A
  • Abiotic: These are non-living factors.
  • Biotic: These are living factors.
  • Climatic: These are the average weather conditions affecting community.
  • Edaphic: These refer to the soil.
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9
Q

What are some Abiotic factors?

A
  • Temperature
  • pH
  • Nitrate, Phosphate and other plant nutrients
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10
Q

What are some climatic factors?

A
  • Temperature
  • Rainfall
  • Light intensity
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11
Q

What are some Edaphic factors?

A
  • Soil pH
  • Available (Soil) water
  • Humas
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12
Q

What is an Edaphic factor?

A

The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil that influences the community.

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13
Q

What are some aquatic environmental factors?

A
  • Light penetration
  • Currents
  • Wave actions
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14
Q

What is the primary source of energy for our planet?

A

The sun

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15
Q

How does a food chain end?

A

When there is not enough energy to support another organism.

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16
Q

What is a grazing food chain?

A

When the initial plant is living (e.g. Grass-grasshoppers-frogs-Hawks).

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17
Q

What is a detritus food chain?

A

When the chain begins with dead organic matter (e.g. Detritus-edible crab- seagull).

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18
Q

What is a producer?

A

Organisms that are capable of making their own food by photosynthesis (e.g. Green plants).

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19
Q

What is a consumer?

A

Consumers are organisms that feed off of other animals (Primary, secondary, tertiary).

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20
Q

How does nutrient recycling work?

A
  • Bacteria and fungi decompose the remains and release the nutrients back into the Abiotic environment (e.g. soil and water).
  • Nutrients are then absorbed by plants and are used to make new organic material.
  • When the new organic material dies, it is returned back into the Abiotic environment, continuing the cycle.
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21
Q

How is carbon dioxide taken from the environment?

A

It is removed by photosynthesis but over a long period of time can form into fossil fuels.

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22
Q

How is carbon dioxide returned into the environment?

A
  • Respiration in plants, animals or micro-organisms.
  • Combustion (I.e. Burning fossil fuels)
  • Decay caused by micro-organisms.
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23
Q

What is conservation?

A

Conservation is the protection and the wise management of natural resources and the environment.

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24
Q

What are some benefits of conservation?

A
  • Endangered species are preserved for reproduction.

- Pollution and its effects are reduction.

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25
Q

What is mixed farming?

A

It’s a farming system where both crops and livestock farming are carried out.

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26
Q

How does conservation come into mixed farming?

A
  • Reduce soil erosion.

- Recycling wastes prevent nutrient losses.

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27
Q

How can you help conservation in fisheries?

A

Fishing net size.

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28
Q

How does fishing net sizes help towards the conservation of fish?

A

If the small-meshed fishing net catches small fish and then they are unable to reproduce. However, if you use large-meshed fishing nets it allows the small to escape and reproduce.

29
Q

Why is conservation in forestry important?

A

The selection and management of the tree species have an effect on flora and fauna.

30
Q

What is one way of preventing habitat lost and environmental harm with foresting?

A

Promote selective felling rather than clear-felling as the dominant harvesting technique.

31
Q

What is pollution?

A

Pollution is any human contamination to a habitat or the environment that leaves it less able to sustain life.

32
Q

What are pollutants?

A

Pollutants are chemicals of human origin that harm the environment.

33
Q

What are some natural and man-made pollutants?

A
  • Natural pollutants are CO2 but levels are increased by human activity.
  • Man-made pollutants are things like CFC’s or Oil Slick.
34
Q

Where on the pH scale does rain fall?

A

All rain is slightly acidic.

35
Q

How does rain become acidic?

A

CO2 in the air dissolves into the rain and creates a weak carbonic acid.

36
Q

What’s the difference between acid rain and acidic rain?

A

Acid rain has a pH of 4.5 or less while Acidic rain is between a pH of 4.5-7.

37
Q

What acidic oxides are released into the air from burning fossil fuels?

A

The main two acidic oxides are SO2 (Sulphur dioxide) and NOx (nitrogen oxides).

38
Q

What happens when SO2 interacts with rain?

A

The SO2 dissolves into the rain to form sulphurous acid (H2SO3) or reacts with particles of the air to form sulphuric acid (H2SO4).

39
Q

Name three effects of acidic rain.

A
  • Reduces soil pH.
  • Erodes Limestone buildings.
  • Phosphorus binds to soil particles and is unavailable to plant roots.
40
Q

Name two ways of dealing with acidic rain.

A
  • Reducing the number of fossil fuels burned.

- Developing ‘clean’ energy sources.

41
Q

What is waste management?

A

Waste management is the process of collecting, transporting, processing and recycling of materials produced by human activity.

42
Q

Name three products that normally compose of urban rubbish.

A
  • Hair
  • Food scraps
  • Plastic
43
Q

In landfills, why is there a rubber liner under the landfill?

A

The liner prevents the leaching of materials through the underlying rock.

44
Q

Why are coniferous trees bad to have near waterways (Rivers, lakes etc.)?

A

The leaves from coniferous trees, when they fall into the water, they make the water acidic.

45
Q

Why is it bad for run-off from farms and factories harmful to waterways?

A

Chemicals and fertilisers are harmful o waterways in the fact that they can cause algal bloom and eutrophication.

46
Q

Name two ways in which the forestry manages waste.

A
  • The stumps of cutdown trees are sprayed with a urea-type compound which speeds up decomposition.
  • Brash is either left to decompose on the forest floor or it is sold as a fuel source.
47
Q

What are two problems with waste disposal?

A
  • The toxic content of fumes from incineration.

- Decaying waste produces methane gas which is a greenhouse gas.

48
Q

What are two solutions currently putting in action?

A
  • The charging of plastic bags.

- The advice of lifestyle changes and education pal programs.

49
Q

How do you reduce waste management?

A
  • Reduce
  • Re-use
  • Recycle
50
Q

How do microorganisms work in composting?

A

Microorganisms decompose organic matter and turn it into a substance called compost. This recycles all of the nutrients required for plant growth.

51
Q

Why is composting good?

A

Composting can reduce the environmental pollution that is cause by incineration and landfills.

52
Q

What is energy transfer?

A

This is the transfer of energy into the ecosystem from the sun and within the ecosystem through the different tropic levels along food chains, and finally out of the ecosystem, into the atmosphere as heat loss due to respiration.

53
Q

What are the four factors that control population?

A
  • Competition
  • Predation
  • Parasitism
  • Symbiosis
54
Q

What is population?

A

Population is a group of individuals of the same species living together in a habitat.

55
Q

Give two reasons why a species might live in a population.

A
  • Individuals are safer in a group.

- The increase of availability of a mate for breeding.

56
Q

What is competition?

A

Competition is when organisms fight over a resources that are in short supply

57
Q

What’s the difference between interspecific and intraspecific competition?

A
  • Inter-specific competition is between to different species.
  • Intra-specific competition is between the same species.
58
Q

Name three things that plants compete for.

A
  • Light
  • Water
  • Minerals
  • Space
59
Q

Name three things that animals compete for.

A
  • Food
  • Water
  • Shelter
  • Territory
  • Mates
60
Q

What’s contest competition?

A

An active physical confrontation between two organisms.

61
Q

What is scramble competition?

A

Each organism tries to acquire as much of the resources as possible

62
Q

How do animals survive competition? (Give 3 answers)

A
  • Changing their feeding habits
  • Camouflage
  • Producing protective coats
  • Moving away from populated areas
  • Reproductive strategies
63
Q

How do plants survive competition? (Give two answers)

A
  • They produce a large number of seeds.
  • Seeds germinate quickly, even in poor soil.
  • Predators eliminate the less well adapted.
64
Q

What are two positive effects of predation?

A
  • Predation stabilises the community.
  • Predators control the number of herbivores so that there’s no over-grazing.
  • Predators eliminate the less well-adapted.
65
Q

What are three adaptions of predators?

A
  • Keen senses and sharp teeth.
  • Catch the oldest and sickest prey.
  • Migrate to where prey is plentiful.
  • Camouflage.
66
Q

What are three adaptations of prey?

A
  • Plants may have thorns, spines or stingers.
  • Faster than the predator.
  • Camouflage.
67
Q

What’s symbiosis?

A

Where two organisms of different species have a close, specific relationship which each other where at least one benefits.

68
Q

What’s the average size of a family in a developed country?

A

2.1

69
Q

How does War interfere with population?

A

It reduces the human population but it is most likely is temporary.

Biology (24 decks)

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