Ecology Pt1 Flashcards
Types of adaptations
Structural: the physical appearance of the animal
Behavioural: something the animal chooses to do
Functional: bodily processes
Why are animals from hot climates smaller and cold climates bigger?
The small animals have a higher surface area/volume ratio so it will lose heat quicker and vice versa
Biotic vs abiotic factors
Biotic is living factors and abiotic is non-living
Light intensity
Decreasing it will decrease the rate of photosynthesis, killing plants and a food source for others
Abiotic
Temperature
An increase in temperature will leave less stomata to less water, leaving the plants less able to survive and stopping animals from eating it
Abiotic
Moisture levels
Decreasing leaves the plants with less water, which leaves them unable to survive and taking a layer off the ecosystem
Abiotic
Soil PH and Mineral Content
Less mineral content will stop the plants from being able to get the minerals they need to survive, killing them and taking a layer off the ecosystem
Abiotic
Wind intensity and direction
A huge increase would see too much water blown off the leaves, decreasing a plant’s water levels, direction to plant gives it too much water and away would decrease pollen levels
Abiotic
Availability of oxygen
A decrease on oxygen will see a decrease in the rate of photosynthesis and decrease the CO2 and water production, possibly killing the plant
Abiotic
Availability of CO2
A decrease in CO2 levels will stop a plant from photosynthesising and will kill it if the fall is great enough
Abiotic
Availability of food
It means that animals aren’t able to replace the lost oxygen
Biotic
New pathogens or parasites
It would mean that a species wouldn’t have the required antibiotics to stop it so could cause a pandemic
Biotic
New predators
A species wouldn’t have evolved to stop a new predator so it may be able to leave a species extinct before it could evolve
Biotic
Interspecific competition
They may leave a species extinct or with not enough surviving to continue the food chain
Biotic
Abundance
A large number of something
Distribution
The spread/sharing of something in an area
Alternatives to intensive farming
Stem cell usage
Intensive farming advantages
Cheaper More efficient Quicker than free range Less land Less resources Easier, all in one place
Intensive farming disadvantages
Lower quality of live for the animals The animals can’t live their life Increased antibiotic resistance Increased spread of disease Deformities Chickens may attack each other Lack of muscle (taste) Chickens stand in own waste
Water cycle
The water gains energy when evaporating from the ocean and condenses to form clouds which will eventually see the water to precipitate back into the ocean, whether in run off or being absorbed into the ground
What happens when the temperature increases (water cycle)
Evaporation and condensation would happen far easier but there would be less precipitation, which could cause drought and a lack of transpiration
Carbon cycling
Release of carbon from living organisms
Detritivores
Organisms which break larger dead organic matter into smaller pieces
Physically increasing surface area
Decomposers
Microorganisms which use secreted enzymes go break down organisms releasing
CO2 to atmosphere
Mineral ions into the soil
Carbon cycle
Leaves atmosphere for plants through photosynthesis
Goes to two animals through feeding
All 3 respire to sen it back or are broken down to waste and dead remains
These form fossil fuels or become decomposing microorganisms
The fossil fuels combine and microorganisms respire
Rate of decay is affected by…
Temperature, oxygen concentration, moisture
What do arrows on a food chain show
Transfer of biomass and energy
Biomass
Producer uses 1% of energy from the sun for photosynthesis
Stored within a chemical store (biomass)
Passed up the food chain to each trophies level
90% wasted at each level, 10% passed on
Pyramid of biomass
Steadily decreasing on both sides of stacked horizontal bar graph at equal rates
1st trophic level up to 5
What do plants compete for?
Light
Space
Water
Mineral ions
What do animals compete for?
Space
Food
Water
Mates
Ecosystem
The interaction of a community of living organisms (biotic) with the non-living (abiotic) parts of the environment
Community
The populations of different species living in a habitat
