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Environmental Science > Life Processes In The Biosphere- Ecological Succession > Flashcards

Life Processes In The Biosphere- Ecological Succession Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is essential in all species life cycle to avoid extinction?

A

When movement to colonise new habitats takes place as changing conditions make the current location unsuitable for survival

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2
Q

How long can the period of survival be in an area?

A

It may last a long time or it may be very short

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3
Q

What is the most important thing species must do with in their lives?

A

Move, colonise, grow, breed then colonise and populate other areas

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4
Q

What happens when species moves to a new area?

A

It will change the habitats which may make it suitable for other species to colonise that could not have survived there before

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5
Q

What is the name for the sequence of events that occur when a new habitat is created?

A

The events that follow are called a SERE

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6
Q

Where is is it possible to see the full range of processes and stages in the changes to a habitat?

A

A newly created habitat which currently has no life

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7
Q

What are some examples of new habitats that wont have any life present?

A

A new pond
Bare rock- exposed by retreating glacier
A landslide
A volcanic eruption

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8
Q

What are all the types of SERE with their prefix?

A

Water- Hydrosere
Bare rock-Lithosere
Sand- Psammosere

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9
Q

What is the name for the changes that take place in a SERE?

A

Called ecological succession

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10
Q

What are the characteristics of the first species to colonise a new habitat?

A

Must be adapted to abiotic conditions which are very extreme then in a developed habitat

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11
Q

What are some of the more intense abiotic factors in a new habitat?

A

Less shelter from:
- strong winds
- brighter sunlight
- more extreme temperatures

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12
Q

What are the first species to colonise an area called?

A

Pioneer species

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13
Q

What do pioneer species do over time?

A

They change the habitat and makes it suitable for species that were not able to survive before

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14
Q

What happens to a newly created habitat when the pioneer species make it more suitable?

A

The new colonisers may out-compete the pioneer species which become less dominant and may die out eventually

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15
Q

What does the first colonisation after pioneer species do to the habitat?

A

The new colonisers also change the conditions making it more suitable and more species colonise

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16
Q

What happens as the changing abiotic factors become less extreme?

A

The adaptations needed for survival are increasingly based on biotic factors and inter-species relations

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17
Q

How is a climax community created?

A

After the cycle of colonisation, thriving, death continues a final community of specie develops which remain dominant as long as the climate does not change

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18
Q

What are the species controlled by in a climax community?

A

The climate

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19
Q

How do temperature extremes change during ecological succession?

A

High to low

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20
Q

How does water availability change during ecological succession?

A

Variable to reliable

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21
Q

How do light levels change during ecological succession?

A

High to lower (if shading occurs)

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22
Q

How does nutrient availability change during ecological succession?

A

Low to high

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23
Q

How does the rate of change change during ecological succession?

A

Rapid to slow

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24
Q

How does the main pollination method change during ecological succession?

A

Wind pollination to insect pollination

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25
Q

How does the main seed dispersal method change during ecological succession?

A

Wind dispersal to animal dispersal

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26
Q

How does the importance of inter species relations change during ecological succession?

A

Low to high

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27
Q

How does biomass change during ecological succession?

A

Low to high

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28
Q

How does biodiversity change during ecological succession?

A

Low to high

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29
Q

What are critical determinants of a biome?

A

Rainfall
Temperature

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30
Q

What is an example of rain and temperature determining a biome?

A

When water is available throughout the year a woodland will develop
High temperature will create a tropical rainforest
Moderate temperatures will develop a temperate deciduous forest
Cooler temperatures will develop a conifer forest

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31
Q

What is a SERE?

A

A sequence of stages in ecological succession during which an uncolonised habitat develops into a climax community

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32
Q

What is the first thing to colonise a newly created area of fresh water?

A

Single celled algae from the soil

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33
Q

What brings spores and seeds of algae, diatoms, and plants?

A

Birds- herons or ducks
Flying insects- water beetles or pond skaters

34
Q

What rooting plants will first colonise the edges of the fresh water habitat?

A

Reeds
Lilies
Reedmace

35
Q

Why are floating plants most likely the only plant currently in the open water?

A

The open water may be too deep for plants so floating plants live there

36
Q

What happens as the plants grow and die in the fresh water habitat?

A

The water gradually fills with DOM as well as soil and sediments carried in forms he surrounding area

37
Q

What happens as the water becomes shallower in a fresh water habitat?

A

Conditions continually change until rooted plants can survive

38
Q

What is the name for plants with their leaves above the water?

A

Emergent plants

39
Q

What happens when emergent plants start growing?

A

They shade the submerged plants which gradually die out

40
Q

What happens as sediments fill the fresh water habitat?

A

The water recedes, aquatic species progressively disappear

41
Q

What happens when enough soil accumulates in the fresh water habitat?

A

It develops to the extent that it can support the weight of much bigger plants, trees that can survive water logged soil

42
Q

What trees can survive water logged soil?

A

Willow
Alder

43
Q

What happens as the soil becomes drier? (Hydrosere)

A

Trees such as oak can colonise

44
Q

How can the soil become drier? (Hydrosere)

A

Transpiration by trees
More sediment accumulates

45
Q

What happens when oak colonises an area?

A

Larger trees create a denser canopy providing shade which inhibits the growth of smaller plants

46
Q

What happens after large trees have stated colonising the habitat?

A

Will become dominated by larger trees with other plants and animals surviving under them

47
Q

What is a lithosere?

A

The development of species on bare rock created by a cliff fall, glacial retreat or volcanic eruption

48
Q

What are the initial abiotic factors like in a lithosere?

A

Very harsh and unsuitable for most organisms

49
Q

What are the abiotic conditions in an early lithosere?

A

Temperatures are extreme
Water availability is severely limited
There is no soil

50
Q

What are the first species to colonise bare rock?

A

Simple autotrophs- lichens and algae

51
Q

What do autotrophs do in the habitat?

A

Break down rock and lead to an accumulation of DOM and rock

52
Q

What is next to colonise bare rock after autotrophs?

A

Mosses

53
Q

What do mosses do to bare rock?

A

Thy break down the rock and create a very thin layer of soil

54
Q

What colonises the lithosere after mosses?

A

Grasses and ferns

55
Q

What happens to abiotic factors in the lithosere as more soil layers form and plants get bigger?

A

The abiotic factors become less extreme

56
Q

What are some examples of what abiotic factors are like after some development in the lithosere?

A

Never as:
- warm or cold
- wet or dry
Before development

57
Q

How do seedlings of less hardy plants survive?

A

They can survive under the shade of larger plants

58
Q

What can happen when pollinating insects become established? (Lithosere)

A

Flowering plants colonise and survive as pollination takes place

59
Q

What are edaphic factors?

A

Soil factors

60
Q

What happens when edaphic factors are suitable?

A

Trees can colonise

61
Q

What are the first trees that usually colonise the lithosere?

A

Those with wind blown seeds such as birch

62
Q

What trees will colonise later into development? (Lithosere)

A

Those that are dispersed by animals such as beech and oak trees

63
Q

At what point are the Hydrosere and lithosere similar?

A

In the later stages of development as they are controlled by the climate of the region

64
Q

What is Psammosere?

A

The ecological succession that starts on sand

65
Q

Why is it hard for habitat development in sand?

A

Nutrients are not readily available
Drainage is rapid so water supplies are poor
Moving sand makes it difficult for plants to establish a good root hold without being covered and killed

66
Q

What happens when plants succeed at colonising sand?

A

The sand is stabilised
Nutrient supplies increase
Organic matter builds up water becomes more available

67
Q

What is a plagioclimax?

A

When human activity deflects the climax community regularly so the natural climax community does not have time to reform and a new plagioclimax community develops

68
Q

What sort of habitats are plagioclimax?

A

Those that don’t seem to change
Grassland
Lowland heathland
Moorland

69
Q

How is conservation os plagioclimax communities done in the UK?

A

Through the maintenance of the traditional activities that created them

70
Q

How are lowland heathland managed? (Plagioclimax)

A

Grazing or burning

71
Q

How are hay meadows managed? (PC)

A

Mowing

72
Q

How are wet meadows managed? (PC)

A

Grazing

73
Q

How is Upland Moorland managed? (PC)

A

Grazing or burning

74
Q

How is arable field managed? (PC)

A

Ploughing

75
Q

How is garden lawn managed? (PC)

A

Mowing

76
Q

How is coppiced woodland managed? (PC)

A

Felling at intervals of 8 to 20 years

77
Q

How are reedbeds managed? (PC)

A

Mowing or cutting

78
Q

What happens if humans activities stop in a PC community?

A

Secondary succession will eventually re-establish the climax community

79
Q

What is secondary succession?

A

When a human activity (Burning) takes place it might recreate or restart conditions suitable for previous species to colonise and the cycle of succession will start from there

80
Q

Why is secondary succession faster than primary succession?

A

The soil does not have to develop an many seeds will already be present so there are fewer delays caused by time taken for species to colonise

Environmental Science (90 decks)

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