(P2) Topic 9: Ecosystems And Material Cycles Flashcards
Who is Otzi
A 5,000 year old body, found in his clothes, perfectly preserved, shot in the back with an arrow
Perfectly preserved due to the extreme cold
How does temperature affect decay
Cold: slows down the rate of reaction, collisions aren’t successful as there is not enough energy
Warm: decay occurs faster as there are more successful collisions due to a higher amount of energy
Very hot: decay doesn’t occur as the enzymes of decay are denatured + there is no moisture in the air
What is desiccation
The removal of moisture
How does pH affect decay
It denatures enzymes
What are saprotytes + examples
Organisms that digest dead things
Mushrooms, worms, yeast
Define abiotic
Not associated with or derived from living organisms
Define biotic
Living or once living components of a community
Define habitat
The natural home of environment of a species
Define environment
The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates
Define niche
The role of a species within an ecosystem
Define ecosystem
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
What are abiotic factors + examples
Factors needed to grow healthily and to their full size. They aren’t living but are needed for living things to grow
Wind speed, light intensity, soil, wind temperature, humidity, aspect, topography
Wind speed
Measured with an anemometer in kmph or mph, too windy=too cold for crops to grow well
Light intensity
Vital for anything to grow, needed for photosynthesis
Soil
Needs the right pH and temperature
Wind temperature
Measured with a thermometer
Humidity
Without humidity crops wouldn’t grow
Aspect
Can have a strong influence on temperature, affects the angle of the sun rays, affects the concentration of the suns rays hitting the earth, can’t be measured
Topography
The shape and position of the land, measured using both radar or a map
How to find the pH of soil
Grind up the soil
1cm in a test tube
1 scoop of barium sulphate and universal indicator
Add a lid to the test tube and shake it
The colour at the top of the test tube indicates the pH
Define competition
An interaction among individuals utilising a limited resource
Define interspecific competition
Competition between species
Define intraspecific competition
Competition among members of a species
What are the types of competition
Chemical, consumptive, encounter, overgrowth, territorial
