Ecosystems And Material Cycle Flashcards
What are the different levels of organisation?
Individual
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Describe individual
Single organism
Describe population
One species in a habitat
Community
Different species in a habitat
Ecosystems
Community of organisms, along w/ abiotic factors
What is abiotic?
Non-living factors in an ecosystem
Affecting distribution of organisms
What is biotic factors?
Living organisms in an ecosystem
Examples of abiotic
Temperature
Light
Water
Pollutants
Examples biotic
Competition
Predation
What is interdependence?
How individual species are dependant on each other for resources
What does conservation mean?
Effort made to protect rare/endangered species
How can we conserve biodiversity?
Reforestation
Ecotourism
Ensuring minimal damage to food chain
What’s reforestation?
Replanting trees
How do you get higher biodiversity by reforestation?
Variety species of trees
What’s ecotourism?
Brings money to help conserve biodiversity areas
How does ensuring minimal damage on the food chain conserve biodiversity?
Conserving 1 species can help others survive
Name human interactions within the ecosystem
Fish farming
Eutrophication
Introduction to non-indigenous species
Positive of fish farming
- can be treated for diseases
- protected by predators
Negative of fish farming
- waste sinks to seabed = eutrophication
- disease can spread easily
What does eutrophication do to biodiversity?
Reduce it
Explain eutrophication
- More nitrates added (fertiliser enters water)
- Excess nitrates blocks sun, producing algae
- Plants cant photosynthesise = death+decompose
- Decompose(food for micro-organisms)
Micro-organisms increase (using more oxygen) - Lack of oxygen = fish death
Water cycle
Evaporation Condensation Precipitation Transpiration Surface run-off Percolation Groundwater through flow
Bacteria found in nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen-fixing
Decomposers
Nitrifying
Denitrifying
Nitrogen fixing
Nitrogen gas —> nitrates
Decomposers
Protein —> ammonia
Nitrifying bacteria
Ammonia —> protein
Denitrifying bacteria
Nitrates —> nitrogen gas
What does the introduction on ingenious species do to biodiversity?
Reduces it
Con of the introduction of non-indigenous species
Both compete for survival
Eventually indigenous species will die out
Non-indigenous species bring diseases
What does lightening do? (Nitrogen cycle)
Provide energy for nitrogen and oxygen into nitrates in the soil
Where is nitrogen fixing bacteria found?
Root nodule of a legume
What takes up nitrates in the soil?
Roots of plants
What do decomposes do to dead organisms?
They turn the proteins of the dead organisms into ammonium compound
How is carbon released into the air via plant respiration?
Carbon in glucose is converted into carbon dioxide
How is there carbon in trees?
Plants take in CO2 from atmosphere
Converting it into glucose
How is carbon found in animals?
From animals eating the plants
How does animal respiration produce carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?
Carbon in glucose converted into CO2 in atmosphere
What happens when a plant dies? (Carbon cycle)
Decomposition
How is carbon found in dead organisms?
Organisms (e.g animals) contain carbon form eating plants, therefore, carbon is still present in the dead organism
How does decay in bacteria / respiration of decomposers contribute to the carbon cycle?
Decomposers break down carbon in dead organisms
Converts carbon into CO2 during respiration
How is there carbon in fossil fuels?
Fossilisation is formed by the head and pressure of dead organisms
How does combustion contribute to the carbon cycle?
When fossil fuels are being burnt…
Carbon is converted into CO2
What’s the equation for combustion?
Hydrocarbon + oxygen —> CO2 + H2O
What are the 7 stages of the water cycle?
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Transpiration
Surface run-off
Percolation
Groundwater through flow
Define potable water
Suitable for drinking
How can one produce potable water during a drought?
Desalination
Define desalination
Removing mineral ions from sea water
Types of desalination
Distillation
Reverse osmosis
Describe distillation
Water boiled
Evaporated
Salt left at the bottom
Water condenses (pure water)
