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A Level Biology > Ecosystems > Flashcards

Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an ecosystem

A

A community of animals, plants and bacteria interrelated with the physical and chemical environment

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2
Q

What are the components of an ecosystem

A
  • habitat
  • population
  • community
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3
Q

What is a population

A

All the organisms of one species, who live in the same place at the same time and who can breed together

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4
Q

What is a community

A

All the populations of different species, who live in the same place at the same time and who can interact with each other

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5
Q

What is an organisms niche

A

The organisms role in an ecosystem

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6
Q

Examples of biotic factors that effect ecosystems

A
  • producers
  • consumers, primary consumers
  • decomposers
  • mates
  • food availability
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7
Q

Abiotic factors that affect ecosystems

A
  • pH
  • temperature
  • humidity
  • shelter
  • weather
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8
Q

What type of changes in ecosystems effect population size

A
  • cyclic changes
  • directional changes
  • unpredictable/erratic changes
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9
Q

What are cyclic changes

A
  • repeat themselves in rhythm
  • movement of tides
  • change in day length
  • predator and prey fluctuate
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10
Q

What is a directional change

A
  • go in one direction
  • tend to last longer than the lifespan of an organism
  • erosion of a coastline
  • deposition of silt in an estuary
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11
Q

What are unpredictable or erratic changes

A
  • no rhythm or constant direction
  • effects of lightening or hurricanes
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12
Q

What are the different types of energy loss

A
  • chemical: not all of an organism being eaten/ingested
  • heat: respiration
  • movement/kinetic
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13
Q

What are the three different types of pyramid

A
  • biomass
  • number
  • energy
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14
Q

What is the formula for biomass transfer

A

Efficiency = (biomass of a higher Trophic level) / (biomass of a lower Trophic level) x100

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15
Q

What is GPP

A

Gross primary productivity
- the rate at which plants convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis

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16
Q

What is NPP

A

Net primary productivity
- the energy that is given to the next Trophic level

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17
Q

What is the formula linking GPP, NPP and R

A

GPP - R = NPP

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18
Q

Environmental factors that are manipulated to make energy conservation more efficient

A
  • light levels
  • drought-resistant crops
  • greenhouses: higher temperatures
  • better nutrients
  • pests
  • fungal diseases
  • competition for light from weeds
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19
Q

Ways humans can make energy transfer from producers better

A
  • harvesting animals just before adulthood
  • selective breeding
  • antibiotics
  • giving the animals their food. Not making them hunt for it
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20
Q

Examples of decomposers

A
  • bacteria
  • fungi
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21
Q

What are the steps of saprotrophic decomposition

A
  • saprotrophs secrete enzymes onto dead and waste material
  • enzymes digest the material into smaller molecules.
  • saprotroph’s absorb molecules into their bodies
  • molecules are stored or respired to produce energy
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22
Q

What is a climax community

A

The final stable community that exists after the process of succession has occurred

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23
Q

What is succession

A

The progressive change in a community of organism over time

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24
Q

What is a pioneer species

A

The species that begin the process of succession, often colonizing an area as the first living things there

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25
Q

What are the different types of succession

A
  • primary
  • secondary
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26
Q

What is primary succession

A

Starts with a bare rock or sand
- behind a retreating glacier

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27
Q

What is secondary succession

A

Starts with existing soil, clearing of vegetation
- after a forest fire

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28
Q

What is deflected succession

A

When something happens that stops succession from continuing to the next stage
- if grazing continued the grass would be the climax community

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29
Q

What are the different stages of succession

A
  • pioneer stages
  • intermediate stages
  • climax community
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30
Q

What happens at the climax community

A
  • increased biodiversity
  • increase in food web complexity
  • increased stability
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31
Q

What happens to organisms as they go through the stages of succession

A

The outcompete the previous species in the area

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32
Q

What happens to matter in biomass transfer

A
  • cycles
  • earth is a closed system
  • measured in kg
  • solid, liquid, gas
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33
Q

What happens to energy in biomass transfer

A
  • flows
  • earth is an open system
  • measured in joules
  • heat, light, kinetic, chemical
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34
Q

What are the different types of pyramids in ecosystems

A
  • numbers
  • biomass
  • energy transfer
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35
Q

What is the pyramid of numbers

A
  • width of each bar represents the number of organisms at each Trophic level
  • producers are at the bottom
36
Q

What is the pyramid of biomass

A
  • width shows the mass of dry organic mater (biomass)
37
Q

What is the pyramid of energy transfer

A
  • width represents the amount o energy passed through each level
38
Q

Which pyramids always have a pyramidal shape

A
  • biomass
  • energy transfer
39
Q

What are the different stages of the nitrogen cycle

A
  • nitrogen fixation
  • nitrification
  • assimilation
  • ammonification
  • denitrification
40
Q

what happens in nitrogen fixation

A
  • nitrogen gas is turned into ammonium ions
  • by nitrogen fixing organisms
41
Q

What happens in nitrification

A
  • ammonium ions are oxidised to nitrate ions
  • nitrifying bacteria
42
Q

What is assimilation

A
  • using digested molecules to form other molecules
43
Q

What is ammonification

A
  • process of converting energy from urea into ammonia
44
Q

What is denitrification

A
  • nitrate ions are reduced by bacteria in anaerobic condition
  • made into dinitrogen
45
Q

Examples of nitrogen fixing bacteria

A
  • azotobactar
  • rhizobium
46
Q

Where is azotobacter found

A

Soil around the roots

47
Q

Where the rhizobium bacteria found

A

Inside the roots

48
Q

What are examples of nitrifying bacteria

A
  • nitosomonas
  • nitrobacter
49
Q

Where are nitrosomonas and nitrobacter found

A

In the soil

50
Q

What do the nitrifying bacteria do

A
  • oxidisation
  • turns ammonia into nitrates
51
Q

Formula for nitrogen gas

A

N2

52
Q

Formula for nitrate ions

A

NO3-

53
Q

Formula for ammonium ions

A

NH4+

54
Q

What does nitrogen fixing bacteria convert

A

Nitrogen gas —> ammonium

55
Q

What does nitrifying bacterial convert

A

Ammonium —> nitrates —> nitrates

56
Q

What does denitrifying bacteria convert

A

Nitrates —> nitrogen gas

57
Q

Examples of carbon sources

A
  • farmland
  • deforested areas
58
Q

Examples of carbon sinks

A
  • peat bog
  • ocean floor
  • immature woodland
59
Q

Examples of carbon neutral

A
  • mature woodland
60
Q

What is a natural climatic climax

A

The only climax community possible in a given climate
- no humans

61
Q

What is a plagioclimax

A

Community maintained at pre-climax stages by constant human interference

62
Q

What is Inter specific competition

A

Between members of different species

63
Q

What is intra specific competition

A

Between members of the same species

64
Q

What are k-strategist population sizes

A
  • limiting factors exert more of an effect as the population grows closer to the carrying capacity
  • gradually levels out
  • low development/reproduction rate
  • large life span/body mass
65
Q

What are r-strategist population sizes

A
  • population size increases rapidly, exceeding the carrying capacity
  • not enough resources to survive
  • “boom and bust”
  • high development/reproduction rate
  • mall body mass/life span
66
Q

What is the competition exclusion principle

A
  • two organisms wont inhabit the same niche
  • thrive separately but not together
  • one outcompetes the other
67
Q

What are density dependent factors

A

Biotic factors
- finding a mate
- predation

68
Q

What are density independent factors

A

Abiotic factors
- light
- territory
- temperature
- oxygen availability

69
Q

What is carrying capacity

A

Species average population size in a particular habitat

70
Q

What is preservation

A
  • leaves ecosystems untouched
  • no human interference
71
Q

What is conservation

A
  • active measure to maintain biodiversity
  • requires human presence for sustainable management and restoration
72
Q

What does CITES stand for

A

Convention of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora

73
Q

What do CITES aim to do

A

Ensure that the international trade of wild animals and plants does not threaten the species survival

74
Q

What does IUCN stand for

A

International union for conservation of natures

75
Q

What are the aims of the IUCN

A

Inform and catalyze action for biodiversity

76
Q

what are the categories of the IUCN red list

A
  • least concern
  • near threatened
  • vulnerable
  • endangered
  • critically endangered
  • extinct in wild
  • extinct
77
Q

What is reclamation

A

Restoring ecosystems that have been damaged or destroyed

78
Q

What is coppicing

A
  • trunk cut close to the ground
  • new shoots grow from cutting
  • cut and grown again
  • allows for faster growth
79
Q

What is a positive of coppicing

A

Carbon is stored in wood
- able to store more as wood grows

80
Q

What are the different types of felling

A
  • clear
  • selective
  • strip
81
Q

What is clear felling

A

Cutting all trees in an area

82
Q

What is selective felling

A

Cutting down mature, diseased or unwanted species/trees

83
Q

What is strip felling

A

Cutting small patches or strips of trees

84
Q

Ways to manage overfishing

A
  • zones where fishing is banned
  • limited number of boats
  • banning fishing at certain times
  • rules of types of fishing equipment
  • inspecting fishing catches
  • releasing young fish
85
Q

Wha is an ecosystem approach

A

Understanding the structure and dynamics of the whole ecosystem

86
Q

What is sustainable development

A

Management of ecosystems so that natural resources can be used without running out

A Level Biology (13 decks)

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