Ecosystems Flashcards
What are abiotic factors?
Physical and chemical (non-living) components that affect the environment.
What are examples of abiotic factors?
Availability of water, temperature, humidity etc
What are biotic factors?
All the living organisms, their numbers, distribution and interactions
What is predation?
Where one organism kills and eats another. E.g. A lion eating a zebra
What is allelopathy?
When a plant releases a chemical that stops the growth of other plants around it. E.g. Pine needles, gum trees
What is parasitism?
When one organism lives on or in another organism and causes harm to the host. E.g. Tick living on a dog
What is commensalism?
When one organism lives on or in another and has no effect on it. E.g. Clown fish and anemone
What is mutualism?
When one organism interacts with another and it benefits both organisms. E.g. Crocodiles and Plover bird
What is competition?
Where 2 organisms rely on the same resources. E.g food or habitat
What forms of nitrogen are there?
Atmospheric Nitrogen Nitrate Ammonium Other Nitrogenous Compounds Urea
What do organisms use nitrogen for?
The production of amino acids and proteins
What are the three types of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Nitrifying bacteria
Denitrifying bacteria
What happens in the nitrogen cycle?
Nitrogen is converted into ammonium by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Ammonium is used by some plants. Ammonium is converted into Nitrate by nitrifying bacteria which are absorbed by plants. Through the food chain, other organisms get nitrate. When the organism dies it gets broken down back into ammonium
What are the different trophic levels?
Producer
Primary Consumer
Secondary Consumer
Tertiary Consumer. Etc
What happens when you change the biotic factors?
Taking out an organism in a food chain alters the population which leads to more competition
What happens when you change abiotic factors?
It can affect the biotic factors and cause competition
What happens if there is competition?
There will be a decreasing number of the thing they are competing for and so, there will be a decrease in population.
What are 3 things indigenous people did for the environment?
Used fire for regeneration
Built channels to farm eels
Only took what they needed
Why are introduced species bad?
Native species have not evolved to be in the same ecosystem as introduced species and so they are often responsible for the extinction or endangerment of native species
What are the arguments for climate change?
Recordings of temperature show that there have been rising temperatures and rising sea levels
What are the arguments against climate change?
Past predictions of climate change have been proved wrong
What is an ecosystem?
The result of the interactions between abiotic and biotic factors in an environment
