Ecology - Organisms And Their Environment Flashcards
what is population
all the organisms of one species living in a habitat
what is community
the populations of different species living in a habitat
what is an ecosystem
the interaction of a community of living and non living parts of their environment
what do plants compete for
light
space
water
mineral ions
what do animals compete for
territory
food
water
mates
what is independence
species depend on each other for food shelter pollination and seed dispersal in a community
what are stable communities
all species and environmental factors are in balance so population sizes stay roughly constant
what are some examples of a biotic things
moisture levels light intensity temperature co2 levels wind intensity and direction oxygen levels soil ph and mineral content
give biotic examples that can effect ecosystems
new predators
new pathogens
food availability
competition
what are adaptations
features or characteristics that allow organisms to survive in their natural environment
what are structural adaptations
give an examle
features of a body structure like shape or colour
e.g. animals that live in cold places have a thick layer of blubber and a low surface area to volume ratio
what are behavioural adaptations
give examples
ways organisms behave e.g. migrating to warmer countries
what are functional adaptations
give examples
things that happen inside an organisms body like reproduction and metabolism
e.g. desert animals don’t produce much sweat and they have small amounts of concentrated urine
what are extremophiles
organisms that are adapted to live in seriously extreme conditions.
what are food chains
shows what eat what in an ecosystem
what is biomass and how does a plant make it
glucose from photosynthesis is used to make biological molecules
biomass is the mass of living material
what are predator prey cycles
if prey population increases then so will predator population . when the predator population increases the prey population decreases
why are predator prey cycles always out of phase with each other
it takes a while for one population to respond to a change in the other population
what is the distribution of an organism
where an organism is found within a habitat. eg a stream
what are 2 ways you can study the distribution of an organism
measure how common it is in 2 or more sample areas using quadrats
see how distribution changes across an area by placing quadrats along a transect
how can a change in the availability of water effect the distribution of organims
animals may migrate as rainfall patterns change
what are 2 factors that effect species distribution
temperature
composition of atmospheric gasses e.g some species cant grow in polluted areas
what happens in the water cycle
water evaporates from land and sea and plants (transpiration) and turns to water vapour
vapour carries upwards cus its warm
cools and condenses to form clouds
water falls from clouds as precipitation
why do materials decay
because they are broken down by microorganisms
what conditions are needed for decay
warm, moist, aerobic
why is decay important
puts stuff plants need to grow back into the soil
what is the first stage of the carbon cycle
co2 removed by plants and algae and is used to make glucose witch can be turned into carbs, proteins and fat
what is the second stage of the carbon cycle
some becomes fats and proteins in animals when thr plants are eaten. it then moves through the food chain. when the plants and animals die detritus feeders and microorganisms feed on the remains as well as animal waste.
what is the last stage of the carbon cycle
carbon returned to atmosphere in co2 when plants and animals respire and through combustion
why does temperature increase decomposition
increase the rate that enzymes work. if its too hot enzymes are destroyed
why is water needed for decay
to carry out biological processes
what is compost
decomposed organic matter that is used as a natural fertilizer
what is biogas mainly made of
methane
how is biogas made
decay of plant material and animal waste anaerobically
what is biogas made in
simple fermenter called a digester or generator. needs to be kept at a constant temp to keep microorganisms respiring away
how is biogas stored
not as a liquid as it needs to higher pressure so has to be used straight away
what is biogas used for
heating cooking lighting
power a turbine to generate electricity
what are batch generators
make biogas in small batches. manually loaded up with waste which is left to digest and by products are cleared away at the end of each session . dont have to be filled up often but dont produce biogas at a steady rate
what are continues generators
make biogas all the time, waste continually fed in and biogas produced at a steady rate. more suited to large scale biogas projects
