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Biology > Ecosystems > Flashcards

Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

What are producers?

A

Producers are photosynthetic organisms that manufacture organic substances.

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2
Q

What are consumers, and how are they classified?

A

Consumers obtain energy by feeding on other organisms and are classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary consumers.

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3
Q

What are decomposers?

A

Decomposers feed on dead organisms, breaking down complex materials into simple components to release nutrients.

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4
Q

What is biomass?

A

Biomass is the measure of total mass in a carbon area or carbon time, used as an indicator of living material in an ecosystem.

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5
Q

How is biomass measured using a calorimeter?

A

Biomass is burned in oxygen, and the energy used to heat water is calculated using ∆E = mc∆T.

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6
Q

What is gross primary production (GPP)?

A

GPP is the total amount of chemical energy converted from light energy by plants.

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7
Q

How is net primary production (NPP) calculated?

A

NPP = GPP - R, where R is the respiratory loss.

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8
Q

What is primary productivity?

A

Primary productivity is the rate at which chemical energy is produced, measured in kJ m⁻² year⁻¹.

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9
Q

What happens to energy in consumers?

A

Energy is lost as undigested material (faeces), heat during respiration, and excretion.

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10
Q

How is energy transferred in consumers calculated?

A

Energy transferred = (Energy available after the transfer ÷ Energy available before the transfer) × 100.

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11
Q

What is the formula to calculate net production in consumers?

A

N = I - (F + R), where I = energy stored in ingested food, F = energy lost in faeces, and R = respiratory loss.

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12
Q

What is nitrogen fixation?

A

Nitrogen fixation is the process where nitrogen gas is turned into nitrogen-containing compounds by bacteria in root nodules or through lightning.

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13
Q

What is ammonification?

A

Ammonification is the conversion of nitrogen compounds from dead organisms or animal waste into ammonia by saprobionts.

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14
Q

What is nitrification?

A

Nitrification is the conversion of ammonium ions into nitrites and then nitrates by nitrifying bacteria in aerobic conditions.

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15
Q

What is denitrification?

A

Denitrification is the conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas by denitrifying bacteria under anaerobic conditions.

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16
Q

How else can nitrogen enter ecosystems?

A

Nitrogen can enter ecosystems through lightning or artificial fertilisers (Harber process).

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17
Q

What happens in the phosphate cycle?

A

Phosphate ions are released into the soil from rocks, absorbed by plants, passed along the food chain, and returned to the soil through decomposition of dead organisms and animal waste.

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18
Q

How are fertilisers classified?

A

Fertilisers can be artificial (inorganic chemicals) or natural (organic matter like manure and compost).

19
Q

What is eutrophication?

A

Eutrophication occurs when mineral ions from fertilisers stimulate algae growth, blocking light, causing plants to die, and reducing oxygen levels, leading to death of aquatic organisms.

20
Q

What is a habitat?

A

A habitat is the place where an organism lives.

21
Q

What is a population?

A

A population is all organisms of one species in a habitat.

22
Q

What is a community?

A

A community is the populations of different species in a habitat.

23
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

An ecosystem includes all living and non-living conditions in a habitat.

24
Q

What are abiotic factors?

A

Abiotic factors are non-living features of an ecosystem, such as temperature, humidity, and pH.

25
Q

What are biotic factors?

A

Biotic factors are living features of an ecosystem, such as predators, competition, and pathogens.

26
Q

What is a niche?

A

A niche is the role of a species within its habitat, including what it eats and where it lives.

27
Q

What is adaptation?

A

An adaptation is a feature that increases an organism’s chance of survival and reproduction by helping it better suit its environment.

28
Q

What are the types of adaptations?

A

Adaptations can be physiological (body processes), behavioural (actions), or anatomical (structural features).

29
Q

What is interspecific competition?

A

Interspecific competition is competition between different species for resources, such as food.

30
Q

What is intraspecific competition?

A

Intraspecific competition is competition between members of the same species for resources.

31
Q

How do predator-prey populations interact?

A

Predators increase as prey increases; as predators eat more prey, prey populations decrease, followed by a decrease in predators.

32
Q

What is carrying capacity?

A

Carrying capacity is the maximum stable population size an ecosystem can support.

33
Q

What are quadrats used for?

A

Quadrats are used to measure species frequency and percentage cover in a given area.

34
Q

What are transects used for?

A

Transects are used to measure species distribution along a line or belt.

35
Q

What is the mark-release-recapture method?

A

Mark-release-recapture involves capturing and marking organisms, releasing them, and recapturing to estimate population size using the formula: (No. in 1st sample × No. in 2nd sample) ÷ No. marked in 2nd sample.

36
Q

What is succession?

A

Succession is the process by which ecosystems change over time due to changes in abiotic conditions.

37
Q

What is primary succession?

A

Primary succession occurs on newly formed or exposed land, where no soil exists. Pioneer species colonise the area, and conditions gradually become less hostile.

38
Q

What is secondary succession?

A

Secondary succession occurs on land where soil remains, such as after a fire. It progresses faster than primary succession.

39
Q

What is the climax community?

A

The climax community is the most stable, diverse community that forms at the end of succession.

40
Q

What are the methods of conservation?

A

Conservation methods include managing succession, seed banks, fishing quotas, and creating protected areas.

41
Q

How do seed banks contribute to conservation?

A

Seed banks store seeds to preserve genetic diversity and regrow plants if they become extinct.

42
Q

How do fishing quotas help conservation?

A

Fishing quotas limit the amount of fish caught, reducing overfishing and preserving fish populations.

43
Q

Why are protected areas important for conservation?

A

Protected areas restrict urban, industrial, and agricultural development to conserve biodiversity.

Biology (13 decks)

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