P1-Section B Ecosystems Flashcards
What is an ecosystem ?
A community of plants and animals that interact with one another and their physical environment .
What is the meaning of ‘biotic’ , give examples of biotic components of an ecosystem .
Biotic means living = living components of an ecosystem , (plants , animals , bacteria .)
What is the meaning of ‘abiotic’ , give examples of abiotic components of an ecosystem .
Abiotic means living = non - living components of an ecosystem ( air , sun , water , temperature . )
What is an ecosytem made up of ?
Plants . animals and their surroudning physical environment , including soil , rainwater and sunlight .
Put the different sizes of an ecosytem in order starting from the smallest , include examples .
Local (habitat) Snd dune , Freshwater pond , garden .
Regional (Englands Lake district moorland )
Biomes - rainforests
Earth
What is a producer e.g
An organism that is able to absorbb energy from the sun through photosynthesis . PLANTS
What is a consumer (example given )
Creature that eats herbivores and / or plant matter . They obatin the enegry from what they eat , example : if they eat a producer they will get the suggars that are made .
What is a decomposer (example of one )
Micro-organisms , such as fungi and bacteria are decomposers . They help to breakdown dead plants and animals , releasing nutreints into the ecosystem so they can be recycled .
What is a food chain
The connections between different organisms (plants and animals ) that rely upon one another as their source of food .
What is Nutrient Cycling
Is the movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter . The process is regulated by the food web pathways that decompose matter into mineral nutrients .
What is the case study to use in an exam for small -scale ecosytems ?
CASE STUDY : Freshwater Pond (UK ) - Frensham pond - its jus all in a small area only difference .
What is the significance of plants in an ecosystem ?
Plants include trees , wild flowers , grasses , mosses and algae . They provide food and shelter for amny animals .
What is the signigicance of rocks in an ecoystem ?
Rocks help in the formation of soils and rock type is importamt . Weathering realeses nutrients stored in rocks into the ecostyem .
What is Weathering ?
Weathering describes the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the surface of the Earth
What is the significance os soil in an ecosytem ?
Soil store water and contain nutrient swhich plants can use . Soil are home to inscects and decomposers .
What are the improtant relationships linking biotic and abiotic parts of the eocystem together w examples .
Physical Linkages - animals eaying the plants .
Chemical Linkages 0 Mild acids in rainwater spped up the decay of dead leaves .
What are two most improtant things an ecosytem relies on .
Constant input of light from the sun as well as rain from the atmosphere .
What are top carnivores
these animals will hunt and eat other carnivores in the ecosytem, as well as the herbivores (lions and tigers )
what are carnivores or secondary consumers
these animals feed on herbiovres (foxes or cats )
What are herbivores or primary consumers ?
plant-eating animals (cows or rabbits )
What are plants or primary producers
green plants that use photosynthesis and take nutrients from the soil using their roots .
Put the feeding groups of an ecosytem in order ?
Plants or primary produercs
Herbivores
Carnivores
Top Carnivores
In a freshwater Pond , describe the bottom of the pond in details .
Very little oxygen , little light
usually rotting plants and stones
decompsoers (maggots and snails) and scavnegers live here . They fed on the particles drifitng down from the surface .
What is the pond margin how it is ueseful
The pond margin is filled with vegetation , (pond marigold) abd provide sheler andnesting for birds and other organisms