farming practices and production Flashcards
what do food chains show
how energy is transferred through an ecosystem via simple lines of transfer
what is each stage in a food web called
trophic level
what do food webs show
lots of food chains in an ecosystem and how they overlap
what are decomposers and what is their function
bread down dead or undigested material which allows nutrients to be recycled
what are the 2 ways farming practices increase the efficiency of transfer
1) reduce the amount of energy lost to other organisms
2) energy lost through respiration can be reduced
what are ways farmers can reduce pests that eat crops meant for human/animal consumption
1) reduce pest numbers using chemical pesticides
2) biological agents can be used to reduce the number of pests so crops lose less energy and biomass
3) intergrated systems that use both chemical and biological methods
what do insecticides do
kill insects that eat and damage crops so less biomass is lost therefore you have a greater NPP
what do herbicides do
kill weeds that removes competetion for the crop, it can also remove the food source or habitat for an insect to simplify the food web for a more efficent food web and a greater NPP as a result
what do parasites do
live or lay their eggs on a pest insect, the parasite either kill the insect or reduce its ability to function
what do pathogenic bacteria and viruses do
used to kill pests
what are 2 ways farmers can reduce respiration of animals
1) keep animals in pens where movement is restricted so they lose less energy by respiration as movement requires respiration
2) pens are indoors and kept warm so the animal doesent waste energy producing body heat
what are some ethical issues surrounding the way farmers reduce respiration
the conditions that the animals are kept cause the animal pain and distress or restricts their natural behaviour.
