Ecosystems Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a natural system in which a community of plants and animals interact with each other and their physical environment
What are biotic factors?
Living organisms like plants and animals that interact with the environment and other organisms within an ecosystem
What are abiotic factors
Non-living environmental factors that have influence over the ecosystem (eg. climate, light exposure, soil type)
What are producers?
Producers are organisms that convert energy from the environment (mainly sunlight) into sugars (glucose)
What is an example of a food chain found in a typical UK freshwater pond?
Producer: Detritus (decaying leaves)
Midge larva
Great diving beetle
Fish
Heron
What abiotic factors affect the freshwater pond ecosystem?
Light, oxygen, water
What does the term ‘interrelated’ mean in the context of the freshwater pond ecosystem?
The biotic and abiotic components within the freshwater pond ecosystem are connected to each other and depend on each other
What is a food web?
A complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food
What is a decomposer?
An organism, such as bacteria or fungus, that breaks down dead tissue which is then recycled to the environment
What is a biome?
A large-scale ecosystem
What are some examples of different biomes (8)
Tropical rainforest Deciduous forest Temperate Grassland Mountain (alpine) Desert Tropical Grasslands (Savanah) Coniferous forest Mediterranean
What is an example of a small-scale ecosystem and how does it illustrate the concept of interrelationships within a natural system?
College Lake
Former chalk quarry which has been restored to create a variety of habitats, including a freshwater lake
The important water and marshland provides important roosting and breeding areas for native and seasonal birds
The wigeon is native to Iceland and feeds on aquatic plants near the margins of the lake
Alder trees grow well at the lake margins, providing food for several species of caterpillar, seed for birds. Moorhens nest around the roots
The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust manage the nature reserve
Visitors play an important role in seed dispersal, as seeds become attached to their clothing while they walk around the lake
Describe and explain the distribution of tropical rainforests
Tropical rainforests can be found within the latitudes of Tropic of Cancer
They are located in the continents of South America, Africa and Asia
Countries that have tropical rainforests include, Colombia, Madagascar and Indonesia
Some examples of tropical rainforests are the Amazon Rainforest and Congo
The reason why they are found in these locations is that the climate is hot and wet. Around the equator, there is lots of solar radiation which warms the Earth and the air above.
The hot air rises and as it does, it cools and condenses, forming clouds and heavy precipitation
Characteristics of Temperate Boreal Forest (coniferous)
Also known as the taiga
Northern coniferous (evergreen) forest
Cold woodland found north of temperate deciduous forests
Largest biome, covering 17% of the Earth’s land
Can be found in Canada, Europe, Asia and the United States
Characteristics of a desert
Very hot and very dry
Very little grows
Only very hardy plants such as cactus which can survive drought
