ecology and the enviroment (topic 4) Flashcards
biodiversity
a measure of the range of species living within an ecosystem
trophic levels
the feeding levels in a food chain
primary consumers
herbivore that only eat plants (producers)
secondary consumers
carnivores that eat primary consumers
producers
organisms that make their own food by photosynthesis, e.g. plants
decomposers
bacteria/fungi that break down dead animals body and waste for energy, using enzymes
tertiary consumers
carnivores that eat secondary consumers, they have no predators and so are called the apex predators
food chains
show the feeding relationships between organisms, they are organised by trophic levels
effects of global warming
- climate change
- loss of habitats
- water levels rise as glaciers melt
- uninhabital enviromenrs due to climate change meaning extintion/migration to more habital areas
pyramids of biomass
show the relative biomass at each trophic level
deforisation
clearing of an area of trees on a mass scale
food webs
collection of different food chains to show how all the organisms in the habitat interact, showing interdependence and therefore how population number changes can affect the entire ecosystem.
effects of deforestation - leaching
Soil minerals are not taken up by trees and are instead washed away by rain into nearby bodies of water
effects of deforestation - soil erosion
Soil is not held together by tree roots and organic matter, so is more likely to be washed and/or blown away
effects of deforestation - water cycle disturbance
The removal of trees reduces the release of water vapour into the atmosphere by transpiration, reducing cloud formation and rainfall
effects of deforestation - Carbon cycle disturbance and increased global warming
The removal of trees reduces photosynthesis, so less carbon is removed from the atmosphere and stored in plant tissues
Combustion of felled trees increases release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
deforestation
clearing of trees on a large scale, usally to provide land for development/agriculture
trophic levels
the level occupied by an organism within a food chain/food web
first trophic level
producers- producers convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy stored into their tissues.
second trophic level
primary consumers - primary consumers eat producers, transferring energy into their tissues.
third trophic level
secondary consumers - secondary consumers eat primary consumers, transferring energy into their tissues.
fourth trophic level
tertiary consumers - tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers, transferring energy into their tissues.
greenhouse gases
gases that absorb infrared radiation from the sun, trapping it above the earths surface (greenhouse effect) which leads to the increase of the earths temperature (global warming)
