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Biology module 6 > Ecosystems > Flashcards

Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

Definition of respiration?

A

A process that releases energy from organic molecules, such as glucose, in food

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2
Q

Definition of habitat?

A

The place where an organism lives

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3
Q

Definition of ecosystems?

A

A group of living organisms and non-living things occuring together, and the interrelationship between them. Can be large scale (African grassland) or smaller scale (garden pond).

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4
Q

Definition of biotic factors?

A

Factors such as food supply, predation and disease that are caused by living organisms

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5
Q

Definition of abiotic factors?

A

Factors that describe the effect of non-living components of an ecosystem. For example, pH, temperature and soil type

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6
Q

Definition of niche?

A

The role that each species plays in an ecosystem. This includes how and what it feeds on, what it excretes and how it reproduces.

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7
Q

Definition of photosynthesis?

A

A process that makes food by capturing light energy and converting it into chemical energy stored in molecules like glucose.

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8
Q

Definition of trophic level?

A

Level at which an organism feeds in a food chain

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9
Q

Definition of population?

A

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

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10
Q

Definition of community?

A

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

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11
Q

What are the 5 ways to trap animals?

A 
Longworth trap
Pitfall trap
Sweep net
Quadrat
Pooter
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12
Q

Describe a longworth trap

A

Sturdy metal trap, food/bedding to survive the night, protection from predators.
Trigger to close door behind animal

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13
Q

Describe a pitfall trap

A

For small animals, can’t escape, some keep animal alive, some kill.
Dry - Container with drainage hole buried in ground
Wet - Contains liquid that kills/preserves trapped animals

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14
Q

Describe a sweep net

A

Net - fine mesh to catch small insects. Use figure of 8 sweeping motion, Make sure it’s standardised (same height, technique, time)
Kick sampling for in water

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15
Q

Describe a quadrat

A

Square area that is placed randomly

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16
Q

Describe a pooter

A

Tree beating - beating tray, shake tree, insects land on tray, sucked up by pooter

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17
Q

What is the advantage of using a longworth trap?

A

Animals are safe, unharmed and released afterwards

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18
Q

What is the advantage of using a pitfall trap?

A 
Animals are preserved/protected
Kills pests (uses ethanol)
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19
Q

What is the advantage of using a sweep net?

A

Easy to do
Catch things that otherwise would be difficult to catch
Don’t harm any of the animals

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20
Q

What is the advantage of using a quadrat?

A

Can estimate population, Use ACFOR scale to make it less subjective and reproducible.
ACFOR = Abundant, Common, Frequent, Occasional, Rare

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21
Q

What is the advantage of using a pooter?

A

Animals are unharmed and released afterwards

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22
Q

What is the disadvantages of using a longworth trap?

A

Animals can get trap happy (overestimate population size.

Animals can be trap shy (underestimate population size)

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23
Q

What is the disadvantages of using a pitfall trap?

A

They need regular checking to count/release live animals or remove dead ones.
Dry - could escape/eat other organisms which will affect count

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24
Q

What is the disadvantages of using a sweep net?

A

Has to be dry

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25
Q

What is the disadvantages of using a quadrat?

A

Harder to estimate percentage cover

Subjective

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26
Q

What is the disadvantages of using a pooter?

A

Could fly off before being captured

27
Q

What is a pyramid of numbers?

A

Bars for each of the species that represent the number of individuals in each species at each trophic level.

28
Q

What is biomass?

A

The mass of living things

Calculated by the average mass of an organism in the species X the number of organisms of the species

29
Q

Why are pyramids of numbers worse than biomass?

A

Numbers don’t take into account the size of the organism so pyramids can be the wrong shape

30
Q

What is the units for pyramids of energy?

A

KJ per m squared per year (area)

KJ per m cubed per year (volume - sea)

31
Q

How is energy lost at each trophic level?

A

Respiration, heat, not eating all of plant/animal (not all energy transferred), faeces, movement.

32
Q

What allows there to be a large amount of biodiversity?

A

Lots of space, differences in temperatures, pressures, light intensities. Allow lots of niches and habitats so lots of different producers so lots of consumers

33
Q

What is productivity?

A

The rate at which energy passes through each trophic level in a food chain.

34
Q

What is productivity measured in?

A

KJ per meters squared per year

35
Q

What is primary productivity?

A

Productivity by the producer
The energy fixed by photosynthesis
Some is lost by respiration

36
Q

What is the calculation for net primary productivity? (usable energy)

A

Gross primary productivity (all energy) - respiratory heat loss

37
Q

How can you improve primary productivity?

A 
Keep plant at optimum temperature, pH, moisture.
Increase carbon dioxide concentration and light intensity
Use fertiliser (has mineral ions)
Use herbicides (weeds), pesticides and fungicides (fungal diseases)
38
Q

What is secondary productivity?

A

Productivity of consumers

Transfer of energy from producers to consumers

39
Q

How do you improve secondary productivity?

A 
Protect from disease
Adequate food
Keep warm
Restrict movement
Monitor/control mating
Harvest young animals
40
Q

Why is secondary productivity inefficient?

A

Plants die
Don’t eat all plants
Lots of plant material is egested
Animals use energy to grow, keep warm, move etc

41
Q

Why is only 1-5% of solar energy used in photosynthesis?

A

Blocked by clouds
Reflected by water
Transmitted through water
Some light hits land with no plants present
only some light is correct wavelength/colour (green reflected)
Some light is transmitted through leaves (misses chlorophyll)
Light can hit nonphotosynthetic parts like the trunk which don’t have chlorophyll

42
Q

What is primary succession?

A 
Starts from bare ground and goes to climax community
Eg bare rock
New volcanic islands
After lava flow
Retreating glacier
Sand dunes
43
Q

What is secondary succession?

A

Starts from disturbed/damaged habitat (still soil)
Eg after forest fire
After deforestation
After hurricanes

44
Q

What is deflected succession?

A

Sometimes humans affect succession, called anthropogenic effect for example, grazing animals will trample/eat small plants

45
Q

What 4 molecules is carbon used in in the body?

A

DNA (nucleic acids)
Carbohydrates
Fat
Proteins

46
Q

What are pioneers in succession?

A

First to colonise, lichen and moss

47
Q

What are the stages called in succession?

A

SERES or

Serial stages

48
Q

What plants come after pioneers?

A

Herbaceous plants

49
Q

What plants come after herbaceous plants?

A

Bushy plants/samplings

50
Q

What does the climax community depend on?

A

Conditions

It is the most biodiverse stage possible

51
Q

How does soil form in succession?

A

Moisture can accumulate and dust can get trapped and decompose to form soil

52
Q

How does each stage allow new organisms to grow in succession?

A

Each stage alters the abiotic conditions so other organisms can grow

53
Q

What are the general trends as time goes on in primary succession?

A

Increase size of plants
Increase biomass so when they decompose increase soil depth so there is more moisture
Increase humus content
More biodiverse so more stable ecosystem

54
Q

What does humus mean?

A

Mineral/organic material in the soil

55
Q

What does nitrosomonas do?

A

Nitrification of ammonium ions to nitrite

56
Q

What does nitrobacter do?

A

Nitrification of nitrite ions to nitrate

57
Q

What does azofobacter do?

A

Bacteria in soil that do nitrogen fixing of nitrogen in air to nitrate

58
Q

What does rhizobium do?

A

Bacteria in root nodules that do nitrogen fixing of nitrogen in air to nitrate

59
Q

What is nitrogen used for?

A

Amino acids/proteins

DNA and RNA

60
Q

How do plants get nitrogen?

A

Through roots in the form of nitrate ions by active transport against the concentration gradient using ATP made in aerobic respiration and a carrier protein.
To make ATP need oxygen so if waterlogged/ flooded, Active transport can’t occur.

61
Q

How do animals get nitrogen?

A

Eating other organisms (protein filled things)

62
Q

Why do we need decomposers?

A

Break down dead/waste organic material

Release energy and minerals from dead organisms

63
Q

How do saprotrophs feed?

A

Organisms that feed on dead matter
Extracellular digestion
Secrete enzymes that hydrolyse organic material into small molecules then absorbed by the saprotroph.

64
Q

What are some examples of saprotrophs?

A

Bacteria and fungi

Biology module 6 (7 decks)

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