Ecosystem Flashcards
In order to survive and reproduce living organisms have to
Interact with other organisms as well as the environment they live in
Environment
The sum total of all the biological, physical and chemical conditions surrounding an organism
Ecosystem
Specific area in a biome with characteristic vegetation in which there is close interaction with abiotic and biotic components where organisms also display adaptation for survival in their environment
There is a sustainable flow of energy through an ecosystem and recycling of nutrients.
Example of a ecosystem
Lakes ponds, desert
Study of ecosystems
Ecology
Ecology
Study of relationships and interactions between living organisms and between organisms and the natural environment in which they occur
An ecosystem consists of
Abiotic and biotic components
Abiotic components like
Physio graphic(landscape) factors
Edaphic(soil) factors
Light
Temperature
Water
Atmospheric gases
Wind
Physio graphic factors
North facing slopes get more sunlight than south facing slopes therefore they are warmer, drier and plants thrive while south facing slopes are cooler and wetter where shade plants like ferns thrive
Slope affecting the rate of water run off
A steep slope water run off is faster than a gradual slope and soil erosion occurs frequent. Soil on a steep slope is shallow and infertile and few plants and animals are present.
Height above sea levels
Areas high above sea levels experience extreme weather conditions such as string winds and snow
Planntd and animals occur differently from high above sea levels and those closer to sea level
Edaphic factors
Three types of soil is clay loam and sand
Clay consists of tiny soil particles while loam has lighter bigger particles and sandy soil is coaster and consists of big particles
Soil type
Ph level
Minerals in the soil
Air particles in the soil
Soil air
Some spaces between soil particles are filled with water while others with air for survival of soil organisms
In sandy soil there are bigger spaces between soil particles and it is well aerated, while clay has very small and poorly aerated.
Aerated
Expand
Water holding capacity
Large spaces between soil particles makes soil a poor conductor of water holding capacity while clay is the opposite.
Water rapidly filters through sandy soil taking along valuable nutrients, leaching process.
Drainage of clay is poor and plant roots may rot easily
Loam is suitable for plant growth as it has medium water-holding capacity is well aerated and contains sufficient nutrients
Humus content
Humus is decayed plant and animal matter
It increases both the soil fertility and water holding capacity of soil. Soil with high humus content is usually dark in color
Ph
Some plants such as azaleas and protease grow better in acidic soil (low pH)
Succulent plants grow better in alkaline soil
However most plants grow in neutral soil
In high Rainfall regions with sandy soil
Nutrients are leaches and the soil becomes acidic
Light
Plants need light for photosynthesis
However light is limited to avoid excessive damage to tissues therefore the day length affects the growth of a plant = photoperiodism
Light intensity also affects growth movements and turgor of a plant. Some plants adapt to the light intensity to which they are exposed to. In shade plants photosynthesis takes place at a much lower light intensity rate.
Example of nocturnals
Bats and moths
Temperature
Ectothermic animals, where the body temperature depends in the environmental temperature become inactive in cold winter temperatures and hibernate to survive
Endothermic animals keep their body temperature constant regardless of environmental temperature also hibernate or migrate to warmer habitats during winter.
Hibernation
A winter sleep, spanning cold winter periods and conditions, during which the metabolism and heart rate of the animal decreases.
Water and plant types
Plants are divided into:
Hydrophytes - plants that are adapted to grow in water like water lillies
Mesophytes are plants that grow in areas with moderate water supply like wheat and maize
Xerophytes are plants that adapt to grow in extremely dry conditions like aloe veras (succulent) with thick fleshy leaves to store water and thick cuticles
Insects have a hard exoskeleton
That prevents dehydration of he body
Fish have gills for
Gaseous exchange and fins for swimming
Water cycle
Continuous cyclic movement of water between the earth and atmosphere
Precipitation
Water moves from the atmosphere to the earth in from of rain and snow
Capillary water
Water round between soil particles and can be easily absorbed while the opposite is hygroscopic water.
Infiltration
Process during which water is abso8by the soil
Plants transpire and lose water to the atmosphere
In the form of water vapor
Large amounts of water vapor
Condenses and form clouds
Water reaches the atmosphere by
Evaporation from large water masses and from the soil
Green plants need
Co2
Water contains
Much less dissolved 02 than air
Plants absorb
Nitrogen Im from of nitrates from the soil wile animals obtain it from the food they eat.
How are plants adapted for gaseous exchange
Animals have respiratory organs with specialized gaseous exchange surfaces like fish has gills
Plants have stomata on their leaves and stems through which gaseous exchange takes place
Underwater plants have thin epidermis and no cuticle
Moving air accelerates
Evaporation and transpiration resulting in living organisms losing water more rapidly
Biotic components are divided into
Auto trophic component and heterotrophic component
Auto trophic component
Consists of all green plants that can photosynthesise and produce their own organic food(carbohydrates)
They are producers
Heterotrophic component
Organisms that cannot produce their own food
They are indirectly(carnivore or omnivore) and directly(herbivore) dependent on the producers for food
They are consumers=primary, secondary, tertiary and decomposer
Primary consumers
Feed directly on producers such as herbivores that live on plant matter and omnivores that live partially on plant matter
Secondary consumers
Feed on the primary consumers like carnivores (meat eater), scavengers (eat the remains of dead animals) and omnivores (live on both animal and plant matter)
Tertiary consumer
Feed on the secondary consumers and are all carnivores
Decomposer
Are mainly saprophytic bacteria and fungi that feed on dead organic matter.
They break down organic compounds into simple inorganic substances that are released back into the environment
Saprophytic
a plant, fungus, or microorganism that lives on dead or decaying organic matter
Why would an organism be a saprophyte(feed on dead organic matter)
They lack chlorophyll therefore they don’t synthesis
They break organic matter in order to return nutrients back to the soil and water.
Decomposers on wood or material make it soft due to the enzyme secreted into organic matter and digest and absorb them with their threads and mycelium to sustain growth of fungi that open pores that utilize energy from dead matter
Population
Group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area
An ecosystem consists of
Communities and their environment
Impact of human factors
On an ecosystem
Loss of biodiversity
Erosion where the soil is warn away
Loss of habitat
Climate change
Adaption
Change in the structural, functional and behavioral characteristics of an organism enabling it to adjust to changing conditions within an environment.
Structural
A special feature of a body
Functional
The way in which a body works
Behavioral
How a living organism behaves
Predators are well adapted to hunt their prey, name a structural component that helps
Eyes in the front of their heads that estimate distances
How do plants adapt to their environment
Plants store water in their leaves while water lilies having breathing pores on top of their leaves
