Ecology and the Environment

Question 1

What is a habitat

Answer 1

The place where an organism lives

Question 2

What is a population

Answer 2

All the organisms of one species in a habitat

Question 3

What is a community

Answer 3

All the different species in a habitat

Question 4

What is an ecosystem

Answer 4

All the organisms living in a particular area and all the non-living (abiotic) conditions such as temp and climate

Question 5

What is biodiversity

Answer 5

Biodiversity is the variety of different species of organisms on Earth, or within an ecosystem

Question 6

Why is high biodiversity important

Answer 6

To ensure that species don’t rely on each other for things like food, shelter and maintaining the physical environment

Question 7

List 2 abiotic factors

Abiotic = Non - living

Answer 7

Environmental Conditions;
* Light intensity
* Temperature
* Soil pH
* Moisture Levels

Toxic Chemicals;
* Eutrophication which is where excess fertilizer gets into lakes and ponds which can kill the organisms living in them
* Bioaccumulation which is where at each stage of the food chain, concentration of pesticide increases, organisms at the top of chain recieve toxic dose

Question 8

List at least 2 biotic factors

Biotic = Living

Answer 8

Number of Predators;
* If the number of predators decreases, the number of prey will increase because fewer of them will be eaten

Availability of food;
* More food means there’s a higher chance of survival and reproduction, can lead to population increase

Competition;
* The competition between species for resources might lead to a decline in the species that are less suited compared to the other species that have an advantage and outcompete them

remember NAC

Question 9

How do you use a quadrat

Answer 9

• place 1m2 quadrat on a random area
  *