Organising an Ecosystem Flashcards
Producer
Photosynthesise
Plants and algae
Secondary Consumer
Carnivores Predators always secondary Can be prey Eat primary consumers \+prey has high protein and fat \+easy to digest prey -food moves about
Primary consumer
Herbivores Eat producers -cellulose difficult to digest -have to use variety of methods to break down cells walls to get contents of cells \+plants don’t move
Tertiary consumers
Carnivores Eat secondary consumers Can be prey \+food is high in protein and fast \+food easy to digest -food moves about
Cycle of food
1) plenty of food available
2) prey grows and reproduces successfully
3) prey numbers rise
4) predators reproduce successfully and numbers increase
5) prey numbers fall
6) predators have less food
7) predator numbers fall
8) repeats
What do decomposers do?
Break down waste, dead animals and plants
Return mineral ions to soil
What are decomposers and what do they feed on?
Bacteria
Fungi
Feed on waste droppings and dead organisms
Digest them
What starts the process of decay?
Detritus feeders
Detritivores
What are nutrients digested by bacteria and fungi used in?
Use some nutrients to grow and reproduce and release CO2, H2O and mineral ions as waste products
What does water cycle do?
Provides fresh water for animals and plants on land before draining into the seas
The process of the water cycle
1) water evaporates from surface of land
2) water condenses and rises
3) clouds form
4) then precipitated onto surface of Earth = rain, snow, hail or sleet
5) water passes through bodies and released during respiration, urinating, faeces and sweat and plants release water into atmosphere during transpiration
What makes up biomass in plants and algae?
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Fats
What is oxygen broken down into in living organisms?
Glucose
What does glucose provide to cells?
Energy
What is released into the atmosphere when decomposers respire?
Carbon dioxide
What is produced when plants, algae and animal bodies are broken down?
Carbon dioxide
What are the three stages in the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Combustion
Combustion in the carbon cycle
Wood contains carbon locked in the molecules of the plant during photosynthesis
Fossil fuels contain carbon from organisms photosynthesising millions of years ago
Burnt carbon dioxide produced, back into atmosphere
Conditions needed for decay
Temperature
Moisture
Oxygen
Temperature needed for decay
High temperatures = faster
Decay stops if too high = enzymes denature
Type of moisture needed for decay to work
Microorganisms grow faster in moist conditions
Easier for microorganisms to digest food and prevents them drying out
Is oxygen needed for decomposition?
Decomposers respire aerobically = need oxygen ton break down food and transfer energy, grow and reproduce
More oxygen = faster decay
Importance of decay in recycling
Compost formed = full of nutrients released by decomposers
=good, natural fertiliser
=returns valuable minerals and improves soil structure and water retention
=made with and without oxygen
If microorganisms have oxygen = respire aerobically -> speeds up process
Bacteria is decomposers = anaerobic -> produces methane
-Methane is flammable and produces fuel, make biogas generators -> exothermic
