ECOSYSTEM AND ENERGY FLOW

Question 1

It is the science that focuses on how organisms interact with one another and with their nonliving environment of matter and energy.

Answer 1

ECOLOGY

Question 2

is a community of organisms that interact with each other and non living components for sustainable development and adaptation to changing conditions.

Answer 2

ECOSYSTEMS

Question 3

ecosystems present on earth, it is called

Answer 3

BIOSPHERE

Question 4

Ecosystems are divided into

Answer 4

TERRESTRIAL OR LAND-BASED ECOSYSTEMS AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM

Question 5

combination of all the ecosystems present on earth

Answer 5

Biosphere

Question 6

proposed the term ‘ecosystem’, defined it as follows: “Ecosystem is defined as a self-sustained community of plants and animals existing in its own environment.”

Answer 6

A.G.Tansley (1935)

Question 7

defined ecosystem as any unit that includes all the organisms in a given area interacting with the physical environment, so that a flow of energy give rise to a clearly defined tropic structure, biotic diversity and material cycles within the system

Answer 7

Odum (1971)

Question 8

defined ecosystem as a community of interdependent organisms together with the environment

Answer 8

Michael Allaby (1983)

Question 9

two Classification of Ecosystems

Answer 9

Artificial Ecosystem and Natural Ecosystem

Question 10

These are maintained or created artificially by man. The man tries to control biotic community as well as physio-chemical environment. E.g.: Artificial pond, urban area development.

Answer 10

Artificial Ecosystem

Question 11

These ecosystems operate by themselves under natural conditions without any major interference by man. It consists of Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems which are maintained naturally.

Answer 11

Natural Ecosystem

Question 12

two Components of an Ecosystem

Answer 12

Non Living Components: (Abiotic) and Living Components: (Biotic)

Question 13

Living components in an ecosystem are either producers or consumers. They are also called biotic components. Producers can produce organic components e.g. plants can produce starch, carbohydrates, cellulose from a process called photosynthesis. Consumers are the components that are dependent on producers for their food e.g. human beings and animals.

Answer 13

Living Components: (Biotic)

Question 14

Are the physical and chemical factors that directly or indirectly affect the living components e.g. air, water, land, rock etc. Non-living components are also called Abiotic components. Physical factors include sunlight, water, fire, soil, air, temperature etc. Chemical factors include moisture, salinity of water, soil nutrients, oxygen dissolved in water etc.

Answer 14

Non Living Components: (Abiotic)
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Question 15

The green plants have chlorophyll with the help of which they trap solar energy and change it into chemical energy of carbohydrates using simple inorganic compound namely, water and carbon dioxide. This process is known as photosynthesis. The chemical energy stored by the producers is utilized partly by the producers for their own growth and survival and the remaining is stored in the plants for their future use.

Answer 15

Producer (autotrophs)

Question 16

An organism capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances using light as an energy source

Answer 16

Photoautotrophs

Question 17

Organisms that obtain energy by the oxidation of electron donors in their environments.

Answer 17

Chemotrophs

Question 18

The animals lack chlorophyll and are unable to synthesis their own food therefore they depend on the producers for their food. •They are known as heterotrophs

Answer 18

Consumers (Heterotrophs)

Question 19

4 types of Consumers

Answer 19

•Primary Consumer
•Secondary Consumers
•Tertiary Consumers
•Quaternary Consumers

Question 20

Bacteria & fungi belong to this category. They break down the dead organic matter of producers & consumers for their food and release to the environment the simple inorganic and organic substance. These simple substances are reused by the producers resulting in a cyclic exchange of material between biotic & abiotic environment. Eg: Bacteria, Earth worms, Beetles etc

Answer 20

Decomposers or Detritivores

Question 21

Major Components of Biodiversity

Answer 21

•Functional Diversity
•Species Diversity
•Ecological Diversity
•Genetic Diversity

Question 22

the biological and chemical processes such as energy flow and matter recycling needed for the survival of species, communities and ecosystem.

Answer 22

Functional Diversity

Question 23

the number and abundance of species present in different communities.

Answer 23

Species Diversity

Question 24

the variety of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems found in an area or on the Earth.

Answer 24

Ecological Diversity

Question 25

the variety of genetic material within a species or a population

Answer 25

Genetic Diversity

Question 26

Habitat destruction has played a key role in extinctions, especially related to tropical forest destruction. Factors contributing to habitat loss are: overpopulation, deforestation, pollution (air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination) and global warming or climate change.

Answer 26

Habitat destruction

Question 27

Illegal trade of wildlife products by killing prohibited endangered animals i.e. poaching is another threat to wildlife. Despite international ban on trade in products from endangered species, smuggling of wildlife items like furs, hides, horns, tusks, live specimens and herbal products worth millions of dollars per year continues, the developing nations in Asia, Latin America and Africa are the richest source of biodiversity and have enormous wealth of wildlife.

Answer 27

Poaching

Question 28

We have discussed about the need to preserve and protect wildlife. However, sometimes we come across conflicting situations when wildlife starts causing immense damage and danger to man and under such conditions it becomes very difficult for the forest department to pacify the affected villages and gain local support for wildlife conservation.

Answer 28

Man-Wildlife Conflicts

Question 29

Species that are non-native to a particular area can sometimes spread very quickly, for example the zebra mussel and Japanese knotweed have spread rapidly in Ireland in the past two decades. As a result, these species can destabilize an ecosystem by altering habitats affecting food webs.

Answer 29

Invasive Non-Native Species

Question 30

As you will remember from the Litter and Waste theme, pollution is always caused by humans. Pollution can have a huge impact, altering the balance within ecosystems, and is the cause of death for millions of animals and plants around the world every year.

Answer 30

Pollution/Litter

Question 31

This is the alteration of natural areas by humans, for example, the clearing of huge areas of rainforest in South America for farming. In Ireland, upland open habitats, such as rough grassland, scrub and heath, have been changed by agriculture and afforestation.

Answer 31

Land Use Change/Increased Infrastructure Development

Question 32

Extensive use and concentrations of chemical and/or biological pesticides and the removal of hedgerows are typical practices in modern-day intensive farming. Often large areas of land are planted with a single crop (monocultures) which greatly reduces the level of biodiversity in that area.

Answer 32

Intensive Farming Practices

Question 33

It is now widely accepted that the current global rate of change in climate is as a result of human activity. As global air or sea temperature changes, even by just 1 or 2 degrees, the habitats in which species live will also change and may even become uninhabitable to some species.

Answer 33

Climate Change

Question 34

Conservation of Biodiversity

Answer 34

In-situ conservation and Ex-situ conservation

Question 35

The preservation of species in its natural ecosystem is called in-situ conservation.

Answer 35

In-situ conservation

Question 36

refers to the conservation of elements of biodiversity out of the context of their natural habitats.

Answer 36

Ex-situ conservation

Question 37

Is the process whereby Earth’s life changes over time through changes in the genes of populations in succeeding generations.

Answer 37

Biological Evolution

Question 38

Is the process in which individuals with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce under a particular set of environmental conditions than those without traits.

Answer 38

Natural Selection

Question 39

Is the process where one species splits into two or more different species

Answer 39

Speciation

Question 40

2 Types of Isolation

Answer 40

Reproductive Isolation (Sympatric Speciation) and Geographic Isolation (Allopatric Speciation)

Question 41

Types of Species

Answer 41

keystone, generalist, specialist, native, non-native species

Question 42

is an organism that helps hold the system together. Example Humans

Answer 42

Keystone species

Question 43

is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources. Example: cockroach

Answer 43

Generalist species

Question 44

eat a limited diet and occupy a much narrower niche. Example: tarsier

Answer 44

Specialist species

Question 45

is species that has been observed in the form of a naturally occurring and self-sustaining population in historical times. Example: Nara

Answer 45

Native species

Question 46

are those that have occurred outside of their natural range. That natural range could be as far as another country or as near as a different region of the same country. Example: Janitor fish

Answer 46

Non-native species