Natural Ecosystems and Human Activities Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
It is all things living and non-living in an area.
What is a habitat?
A place in an ecosystem where an organism lives.
What is a niche?
The role of a species within an ecosystem.
Food chain:
Diagram showing the relationship between one producer, primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers.
Food web:
Diagram showing the relationship between all(most) producers, primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers.
Trophic level:
Feeding level within a food web or chain.
Biotic:
Living.
Abiotic:
Non-living.
Biotic factors:
*producers.
*primary consumers.
*secondary consumers.
*tertiary consumers.
*decomposers.
Abiotic factors:
*temperature.
*humidity.
*water.
*oxygen.
*salinity.
*light.
*pH.
What is brackish water?
Water that is salty but not as salty as seawater.
Photosynthesis:
Carbon Dioxide + Water–>Light+chlorophyll—-> Glucose + Oxygen + Water.
What makes plants green?
Chlorophyll.
Respiration:
Process where living things release energy from food to carry out the process of life.
Predation:
One animal eats another.
Process of pollination:
Pollinator(bee) is attracted to a flower and gets covered in pollen grains from the anther, then flies to another flower and fuses the ovule with the pollen.
The carbon cycle includes:
*sunlight–> photosynthesis.
*animal respiration.
*plant respiration.
*root respiration.
*plant decay.
*animal decay.
*ocean uptake.
*organic carbon.
*auto/factory emissions.
Importance of wetlands:
*shoreline protection.
*maintenance of water quality.
*flood control.
*habitats.
*refilling of aquifers.
*biological productivity.
*source of variety.
Causes of habitat loss:
*wetland drainage.
*intensive agriculture.
*deforestation.
*loss of biodiversity.
*genetic depletion.
Climax community:
Ecological community where populations of animals and plants remain stable with each other and the environment.
Impacts of habitat loss:
*extinction.
*genetic depletion.
*biodiversity loss.
Genetic depletion:
Loss of a species with potentially useful genes.
Causes of deforestation:
*clearing land.
*timber.
*lumber.
*farming.
*rock/mineral extraction.
Impacts of deforestation:
*climate change.
*desertification.
*soil erosion.
*habitat loss.
*rise in CO2
*greenhouse gas.
*loss of biodiversity.
*genetic depletion.
Types of sampling:
*Random sampling: using random tables or random selection.
*systematic sampling: using transects or pre-determined patterns.
When to use the types of sampling:
*random: used to compare two areas.
*systematic: used to check species change in a area in an environment.
Quadrat:
A frame placed on a part of a site to be sampled.
Transect:
A sampling method where sampling devices are laid out in a straight line across an area.
Pitfall traps:
A small trap with a lid that traps small insects.
Quadrat advantages:
*quick.
*inexpensive.
*portable.
Quadrat disadvantages:
*not always accurate.
*unintenionally biased.
Transect advantages:
*quick.
*inexpensive.
*portable.
Transect disadvantages:
*used in inappropriately.
Pitfall trap advantages:
*inexpensive.
*easy to set up and use.
Pitfall trap disadvantages:
*oversampling/undersampling.
*often kills organisms captured.
National parks:
Area of land protected by the government to preserve an entire ecosystem.
Wildlife corridor:
Link of wildlife(generally native) joining two wildlife habitats.
Extractive reserves:
Area of land(generally state-owned) where access and use rights are allocated to local groups.
Secondary metabolites:
Organic compounds produced by bacteria, fungi, or plants involved with normal growth, development, or reproduction of the organism.
Sustainable forestry:
*selective logging.
*agroforestry.
*alley cropping.
Agroforestry:
Land management system where crops are grown along trees.
What is selective logging?
Removal of only mature trees of species that are vulnerable. Allowing forests to repair overtime.
Biosphere reserves:
An ecosystem with plants and animals of unusual scientific and natural interest.
What is alley cropping:
Planting rows of trees in wide spacings with companion crops grown in between the rows.
Plan of biosphere reserves:
Plan to promote management, research, and education in ecosystem conservation.
Advantages of biosphere reserves:
*recognised internationally.
*attracts funding and support.
Form of biosphere reserves:
*core area: ecosystems that need protection.
*buffer zone: research along with tourism and education.
*transition zone: local communities and conservation organisations work together to benefit the area.
Seed banks:
Stores seeds to preserve genetic diversity where it’s not possible to protect the area.
Ways to reduce inbreeding:
*organisms aren’t allowed to breed repeatedly with the same partner.
*in-vitro fertilisation.
*inter-zoo swapping of organisms.
*using database to record breeding history.
Roles of zoos and captive breeding:
*provides education.
*involved in scientific research.
*increases species numbers.
*reduces extinction risk.
*try maintaining genetic biodiversity.
