Fieldwork & Competition Flashcards
Anemometer
1 mark
A device for measuring wind speed.
Distribution
1 mark
The way in which something is spread out.
Ecosystem
3 marks
An area where a community of animals, plants and microorganisms - live together within a habitat
- along with a range of environmental factors they are affected by.
pH
4 marks
Scale of acidity or alkalinity.
A pH (power of hydrogen) value;
- Below 7 - acidic
- Above 7 - alkaline
Predator
1 mark
Animal that hunts and kills another animal.
Prey
1 mark
Animal that is hunted and killed by another for food.
Quadrat
3 marks
Square frame of known area used for sampling the abundance + distribution of slow or non-moving organisms.
Biodiversity
1 mark
Measure of the number of different species living in an area.
Population
1 mark
Number of organisms of the same species living in an area.
Habitat
1 mark
Where a population lives.
Environment
3 marks
Organism’s surroundings.
Contains factors that influence the organism.
Factors can be divided into abiotic + biotic factors.
Abiotic
1 mark
Non-living factors.
Biotic
1 mark
Living factors.
Community
1 mark
Several populations of different species living in habitats close together.
It is important that sampling methods are:
2 marks
- Reliable
- Representative
Sampling methods;
Importance of a Reliable Sample
(2 marks)
Large sample needs to be obtained.
E.g 20 small sections should be sampled if the area is large.
Sampling methods;
Importance of a Representative Sample
(2 marks)
Needs to be representative of the entire area being investigated.
Should take place randomly across the larger area, not just concentrated in one small part.
The distribution of organisms in a habitat may be affected by…?
(2 marks)
Physical factors
E.g - Temperature and light.
What is used while investigating the number of organisms under time constraints?
(2 marks)
Small reliable + respresentative samples
Collecting data depends on
1 mark
Organism sampled
What sampling method can be used if the organism moves slowly or not at all?
(1 mark)
Quadrat (square frame)
Organisms found inside a Quadrat can be
2 marks
Counted or their percentage cover estimated.
Percentage Cover
3 marks
Percentage of the quadrat covered by each species.
- usually rounded up to nearest 10%
- PC under 1-5% is rounded down to 1%
Once data for all the quadrats has been collected - what is the next step?
(1 mark)
An average for each species can be calculated.
- gives an idea of the percentage cover of that organism across the entire area being investigated
How can the average of each species (collected from quadrat data) be useful?
(1 mark)
Gives an idea of the percentage cover of that organism across the entire area being investigated.
What can an organisms surroundings (abiotic + biotic factors) influence?
(1 mark)
It’s distributions.
Abiotic (non-living) factors
5 marks
- Wind speed
- Water/soil moisture levels
- pH levels
- Light
- Temperature
Abiotic factors;
Wind Speed
(3 marks)
- Measured with an anemometer.
- Affects rate of water loss by plants; therefore affects their survival rates in exposed areas.
Abiotic factors;
Water/soil moisture levels
(6 marks)
- Measured by finding mass of a soil sample, drying the sample in an oven + reweighing.
- Difference in mass gives an indication of the percentage soil moisture.
- Affects survival + therefore distribution of plants + animals.
Abiotic factors;
pH levels
(5 marks)
- Measured using a pH probe.
- Affects survival + therefore distribution of plants.
- Most plants prefer neutral conditions but some will only grow in acidic or alkaline conditions.
Abiotic factors;
Light
(4 marks)
- Measured using a light metre.
- Affects survival + therefore distribution of plants.
- All plants need light to Photosynthesise but some can survive with less than others.
Abiotic factors;
Temperature
(3 marks)
- Measured with a thermometer.
- Affects the rate of cell reactions like Photosynthesis + Diffusion.
Biotic (living) factors
1 mark
- Other plants + animals can affect the distribution of an organism.
More difficult factors to measure
1 mark
Biotic Factors
Examples of how other plants + animals can affect the distribution of an organism.
(3 marks)
- E.g Effect of a predator on its prey - if predator numbers are high, prey numbers will decrease.
- E.g 2 Competition for food - not enough food means the death of an organism can occur.
Competition between animals is usually for
4 marks
- Food
- Water
- Territory
- Mates
Competition between plants is usually for
4 marks
- Light
- Water
- Minerals
- Space
What can competition affect in plants + animals?
1 mark
Population growth
What have organisms adapted to?
2 marks
Their individual environment
+ to competition for resources.
What can humans influence?
1 mark
Normal balance of an ecosystem.
Grey squirrels
10 marks
Not native to UK; introduced from North America.
Population outweighs the red squirrels in some areas.
Eats wider range of food; more needed to survive - can survive in mixed woodland.
Carries a disease fatal to red squirrels - does not affect grey.
Larger squirrels.
Where seeds are small - struggle to obtain enough food.
Where were Grey Squirrels introduced from?
1 mark
North America
What squirrels population outweighs the other in areas?
1 mark
Grey outweighs the red.
Which squirrel eats a wider range of food but needs more to survive?
(1 mark)
Grey Squirrel
Which squirrel survive in mixed woodland?
1 mark
Grey Squirrel
Which squirrel carries a disease fatal to the other?
2 marks
Grey squirrels carry a disease fatal to the red squirrels - it does not affect them.
Which squirrels are larger?
1 mark
Grey squirrel
Where seeds are small grey squirrels struggle to obtain enough of this?
(1 mark)
Food
Less of these squirrels in areas
1 mark
Red squirrels
What can the grey squirrel do that the red cannot?
1 mark
Survive in areas of mixed woodland.
What is fatal to the red squirrel but not the grey?
1 mark
Disease carried by grey squirrel.
Which squirrel dominates in areas where seeds are small?
1 mark
Red squirrel
Which squirrel needs less food?
1 mark
Red squirrel
Example of a type of forest where seeds are small
1 mark
Conifer forests
