Ecology And The Environment Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Community definition

A

A community is a group of populations of different species living together in the same place (e.g. A woodland community could contains squirrels, deer, insects, birds e.t.c) different species in a community rely on each other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Habitat definition

A

A habitat is a place where an organism lives, referring to a general area where many species are found. (It is a physical place)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Ecosystem definition

A

An ecosystem describes all the species, populations, habitats and communities in an area. It is a self contained, interacting community of organisms and the environment. (Lake ecosystem, woodland ecosystem)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the first thing in a food chain

A

A producer e.g. A plant.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What comes after the producers in a good chain

A

Primary, secondary, tertiary consumers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What categories do these consumers fall in to

A

Herbivores, carnivores and omnivores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are detritivores?

A

Animals that feed off of waste (maggots, worms, dung beetles e.t.c)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is biomass?

A

The mass of material in living organisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What happens to energy as it passes through a food chain?

A

It gets used up and less is available at each trophic level

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Why is there only about 10% of energy transferred from one trophic level to another

A

Because energy is passed out of the food chain by being used as heat energy, for life processes (e.g. movement) and faeces and remains are passed to decomposers. Less energy is transferred at each level of the food chain so as a result the biomass gets smaller.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Why is not all the biomass from a plant transferred to animal biomass?

A

Because cows do not eat all of the plant
Some of the plant biomass eaten is excreted by the animal and not turned into animal biomass
Some of the plant biomass eaten is used as energy for metabolic reactions such as respiration or producing heat so is not converted to animal biomass
Not all the plant biomass eaten can be digested (cellulose)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Water cycle

A

Ground water goes into rivers and streams which makes wet surfaces and bodies of water. This water then evaporates giving water vapour in the air. The water vapour then undergoes condensation to make cloud which turns into ground water again by precipitation. The ground water is turned into water vapour in the air also by being taken up by plants and then transpiration occurs giving water vapour in the air.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Carbon cycle

A

CO2 in the air is turned into organic material in plants by photosynthesis. This organic material in plants turns into fossil fuels, organic material in animals and dead organic waste(also produced by the organic material in animals. The organic material in plants and animals also puts CO2 back into the air by respiration. Fossil fuels puts CO2 back into the air by combustion. The dead organic waste of plants and animals is turned into organic materials in decomposers by decomposition, the decomposers then put CO2 back into the air by respiration.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the three ways that nitrogen in the air is converted into plant proteins.

A

Nitrogen in the air is turned into nitrates taken up by plants via:

  • nitrogen fixing bacteria (in soil and root nodules of legumes)
  • electrical storms
  • haber process (nitrogen in air converted to ammonia in fertilisers which is turned into nitrates via nitrifying bacteria)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How can excreta and dead protein materials from both animals and plants be turned back into nitrates for plants or back into nitrogen in the air?

A

Excreta and dead animal proteins is decomposed by decomposers which produces ammonia.
The ammonia is turned into nitrites by nitrifying bacteria and then into nitrates by nitrifying bacteria which is then taken up by plants. OR
The ammonia is turned into nitrogen in the air by denitrifying bacteria.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are the greenhouse gases?

A

Water vapour, CO2, nitrous oxide, methane and CFC’s

17
Q

What creates sulphur dioxide and acid rain?

A

Sulphur dioxide is produced by the burning of fossil fuels. The sulphur dioxide turns into sulphuric acid by dissolving in the water droplets in clouds, it then falls as acid rain

18
Q

What are the effects of acid rain

A
  • low ph in lakes which kills fish as they get mucus on their gills which leads to bad gas exchange and death
  • dissolves marble structures as the calcium carbonate is dissolved
  • low ph in soil kills plants as roots can’t take in mineral ions.
19
Q

What are control measures for sulphur dioxide pollution

A
  • dryer absorber spray which absorbs so2

- filter in chimneys that absorbs the so2 preventing it from getting into the clouds and causing acid rain

20
Q

What are the sources of carbon monoxide

A

It is produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon and fuels
Sources: furnaces or boilers, gas stoves and ovens, fire places, motor vehicles, power generators, tobacco smoke

21
Q

What are the effects of carbon monoxide?

A

“Silent killer” poisonous gas, dangerous because it is odourless and colourless. Causes: headaches, dizziness, vomiting, nausea and death.
It replaces the oxygen in haemoglobin creating a lack of o2

22
Q

Control measures

A
  • not leaving motors running
  • do not use motos or generators in small spaces
  • install a carbon monoxide detector
  • don’t heat bourse with ovens
  • don’t burn anything in unvented stoves or fireplaces.
23
Q

Describe the greenhouse effect

A

It keeps the earth warm as greenhouse gases cause sun rays to bounce back onto the earth after being reflected but some rays escape.

24
Q

How does an increase in greenhouse gases lead to global warming?

A

Too many greenhouse gases cause more rays to bounce back onto the earth and makes it harder for the infrared radiation to get back into space. Because more heat is reflected back onto the earth the earth warms up. This is global warming.

25
Q

How do human activities produce carbon dioxide

A

produced by the combustion of fossil fuels and internal combustion of engines and deforestation reduces the uptake of CO2

26
Q

How do human activities produce methane

A

Meghan is produced by bacteria in the gut of ruminants (cows) and by decomposing bacteria in water logged conditions such as swamps and rice fields.
Produced by the decay of waster materials as anaerobic decay produces methane sometimes.

27
Q

How to human activities produce CFC’s?

A

Chlorofluorocarbons are used as aerosol propellant and refrigerator coolant.

28
Q

How do human activities produce nitrous oxide?

A
Rocket motors and car racing motors
Nitrogen fertilisers (nitrates in soil are converted to nitrous oxide (an nitrogen gas) by denitrifying bacteria)
29
Q

What are the consequences of global warming?

A
  • rising sea levels (expansion of water due to increased temps) =higher ricks of flooding
  • melting ice caps and glaciers =impact on wildlife, rising sea levels, flood risk
  • changes in weather patterns =more extreme weather (temps, rainfall, drought, wind, severe storms)
  • changes in plant and animal distribution
  • higher yield (more light, different plants can grow)
  • less ice in glaciers and less snowfall =reduces meltwater supplies to dependent areas, knock on effect to food supply
  • ocean expansion. Ice reflects back IR, less I e, water is darker and absorbs more IR, increase temps so water expands causing rising sea levels. Ice helps cool the planet so planet warms up
30
Q

Population definition

A

A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in the same place at a certain time.

31
Q

What happens if raw sewage is released into water?

A

The water will become polluted. Bacteria and fungi will decay the matter and use up oxygen dissolved in the water when they respire. This causes biological oxygen demand (BOD) so other animals and fish will die due to lack of oxygen.

32
Q

Eutrophication definition

A

The process by which a lake or river becomes enriched with dissolved nutrients. This results in the growth of aquatic plants which can ultimately result in a decrease of dissolved oxygen (increased BOD) and the death of living organisms

33
Q

Describe the process of eutrophication

A

Excess nutrients make algae grow faster. This algae then dies as well as plants shaded by the algae. The dead matter is decomposed by microbes. The microbes respire and use up oxygen causing BOD so aquatic animals suffocate and die.

34
Q

How can eutrophication be prevented

A

Treat sewage before it enters rivers

Prevent farmyard drainage entering rivers and ponds

Control the use of fertilisers

Bubble air in badly polluted ponds.

35
Q

What are the consequences of deforestation (4 things)

A
  • leaching
  • soil erosion
  • disturbance of water cycle
  • change in balance of atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide
36
Q

What is leaching

A

Where mineral nutrients contained in top layers of soil are washed deeper in the soil so overtime the top soil becomes infertile.

37
Q

What is soil erosion

A

Where the top soil is washed away because it is exposed directly to wind and rain. This removal will lead to a loss of soil structure which causes a loss in fertility

38
Q

How does deforestation lead to a disturbance of the water cycle

A

Most of the rainfall is absorbed by the tree foliage or root system so when the trees are gone the soil can not absorb all of the water which leads to floods and landslides. On a more global scale loss of forests reduces transpiration which leads to a dryer atmosphere and less rainfall globally.

39
Q

How does is change the balance of atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide

A

Less CO2 is absorbed for photosynthesis and more is released by the burning of trees. This leads to an enhanced greenhouse effect.
Less oxygen is produced which in the long term could cause problems for respiration