ecology gcse Flashcards
what are the 3 types of adaptions called?
+ give example for each (animals)
Behavioural - elephants spray water on themselves to keep cool
physiological - a stunk spraying toxins when feeling frightened.
structural - foxes have sharp teeth to catch and eat preys
polar bear structural adaptions
(5)
- has small ears and tail to minimise heat loss (reduces surface area)
- white fur for camouflage
- Thick fur for warmth
- black skin to absorb as much heat as possible
- they have a thick layer of blubber beneath their skin which helps insulate them and maintain their body heat
polar bear physiological adaptions
- they have slow metabolism allowing them to conserve energy during the winter when short of supply
polar bear Behavioural adaptions
(4)
- hibernation
- they are strong swimmer
- They dig dens (habitat)
- they find mates for breeding
give example for each of the 3 types of adaptions for plants
structural - Waxy leaves help reduce water loss in dry environments.
or
colourful and bright to attract birds (for fruit seed dispersal) and bees (pollen)
Behavioural - Leaves closing at night to conserve water.
physiological - photosynthesis
cacti physiological adaptions
Thick, waxy skin reduces water loss.
Spines protect and reduce evaporation.
Shallow roots absorb surface water quickly.
Stem stores water.
Stomata open at night to minimize water loss (CAM photosynthesis).
cacti structural adaptions
- No leaves to reduce water loss (smaller surface area)
- spikes to stop animals from feeding on it
- widespread root system to collect water and nutrients more easily
cacti behavioural adaptions
Stomata open at night to minimize water loss.
ecosystem definition
a community of living organisms (plants, animals, microorganisms) interacting with each other and their physical environment (air, water, soil) in a specific area. It includes both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.
stable community definition
when the size of the populations of all species remain relatively constant over time
community definition
All the populations of different species that live in a particular place
interspecific definition
Competiton between species that are completly different
population definition
A group of organisms of the same spieces living in the same area at the same time
intraspecific definition
when members of the same species compete for limited resources
interdependence definition
the way in which organisms rely on each other to survive
Abiotic factor definition
+ 3 examples out of 6 at least
Non living factors that impact the ecosystem
- wind
- PH
- light intensity
- nutrients availability
- CO2 levels
- oxygen levels
biotic factor definition
+ 2 examples
living factors that impact the ecosystem
- competitions
- pathogens
interdependence definition
different organisations that depend on each other to survive
why does food chains only reach up to tertiary consumers?
Because the energy has been lost as it decreases every stage
how does CO2 enter and return back to the atmosphere?
enter - plants and algae take in CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis
(where carbon dioxide is combined with water to make the sugar glucose)
return - by aerobic respiration
(every living organism carries out respiration - respiration and breathing are not the same thing so don’t say it is in the exam)
What is a transect?
A line through a change across a particular area or habitat which organisms are sampled
When ecologists want to learn about the organisms in an environment they often use sampling.
Explain what sampling means and why it is often used.
sampling is a method used by scientists to determine the abundance or distribution of an organisms. this methods are used to save time as it would be very time consuming or near impossible to count all the organisms
The name given to the mass of living material in an organism or population is… what?
“biomass”
The mass of living material that makes up an organism is called the biomass. The term ‘bio’ means living.
biomass halves every time it goes up the food chain
biodiversity
the variety of different species on Earth.
True or false? Pesticides have a negative effect on biodiversity if they are washed into streams but fertilisers have a positive effect.
false
Both have a negative effect
- since if they run off the land and enter waterways such as lakes and rivers.
