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Bio P2 > SB9- Ecosystems and Material cycles > Flashcards

SB9- Ecosystems and Material cycles Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

what are populations

A

The total amount of organisms from a species that lives in an encosystem

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2
Q

What are communities

A

All of the organisms that live and interact in an ecosystem

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3
Q

What is an ecosystem

A

The interaction of the community with all the living and non living factors in an environment

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4
Q

Population size=
(equation)

A

number of organisms in all quadrats x total area of where organism lives/ total area of quadrats

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5
Q

How does a change in temperature affect a community

A
  • change in temperature affects the distribution of organisms and where they live
  • temperature also affects the rate of photosynthesis
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6
Q

how does light affect a community

A
  • light is needed for photosynthesis , so light affects how many plants can grow e.g there isnt much light on a forest floor so few plants can grow there
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7
Q

how does water affect a community

A
  • most land plants cannot survive if their roots are underwater for too long, so more water (flood) reduces the amounts of plants
  • many animals in a community can die out due to droughts, as well as floods
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8
Q

how does pollutants (substances that cause harm in the environment) affect a community

A
  • pollutants can poison organisms or cause harm in other ways such as fish eating plastic and polar bear back shots
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9
Q

how does competition affect a community

A
  • competition can cause less adapted species to have a lower population as they struggle to hunt food against the better adapted species
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10
Q

how does predation affect a community

A
  • can decrease the number of organisms that are prey to the predator as they are eaten for food
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11
Q

definition and importance of interdependance in a community

A
  • interdependance is when each species depends on another species, as a change in the population of one species can have a knock on effect on others
  • so interdependance is important as it keeps population sizes roughly constant
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12
Q

parasitism

A
  • when the parasite organism benefits by feeding off the host organism which is harmed
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13
Q

mutuallism

A
  • when two organisms that live together benefit from the relationship
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14
Q

describe the quadrats and transects practical

A
  • measure 20m along the ground startng in an rea of shade moving to a non shaded area
  • place quadrats along the measurements
  • measure the abiotic factors such as light intensity at each quadrat
  • record abundance of plant at each quadrat
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15
Q

belt transect

A

placing quadrats at regular intervals along a measured line, this is used to see the effects of certain biotic or abiotic factors in a population

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16
Q

What happens as energy is transferred between trophic levels in a food chain?

A
  • Whilst energy is transferred from one organism to another, much of it is lost through factors such as:
  • Respiration
  • Movement
  • Release of thermal energy
  • This limits length of food chain and results in the pyramid shape of biomass
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17
Q

efficiency

A

useful energy/total energy x 100

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18
Q

advantages of fish farming

A
  • prevents overfishing in the wild which harms some aquatic ecosystems
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19
Q

disadvantages of fish farming

A
  • parasites and disease can spread among the fish, especially if they have similar genes
  • uneaten food and faeces can sink to the bottom of the tank which can change water conditions for the wild organisms that share the water
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20
Q

advantages of introducing non indigenous species

A
  • can change the size of another species population if it has gotten too big
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21
Q

disadvantages of introducing non indigenous species

A
  • may out compete or kill indigenous species leading to extinction or reduced biodiversity
  • new species in the food chain would disrupt the balance thus impacting the populations of other organisms in the food chain
  • new species may bring disease with them which could be deadly to indigenous species
22
Q

advantages of eutrophication

A
  • can help plants in an ecosystem grow
23
Q

disadvantages of eutrophication

A
  • fertilisers can wash off land into water by rain
  • this grows the algae blocking sunlight from entering the waters
  • water plants die as a result and remaining oxygen is used by decomposers
  • less oxygen in the water so aquatic organisms die
  • reducing biodiversity
24
Q

benefits of maintaining biodiversity

A
  • prevents disruption to ecosystems which prevents extinction
  • some medicines are extracted from plant so maintaining biodiversity is good as it reduces the risk of the extinction of such plants
25
Q

conservation of animal species

A
  • when an effort is made to protect a rare or endangered species or habitat
  • this maintains biodiversity as there is no loss of a species
26
Q

impact of reforestation

A
  • helps build biodiversity of cleared areas
  • provides habitats for many species and helps maintain global carbon balance
27
Q

effect of increasing human population on food security

A

increasing population threatens food security as there is more people per resources

28
Q

effect of increasing animal farming and increased meat and fish consumption on food security

A
  • increasing animal farming can help food security as you can produce more animals that can be used for food to feed more people
  • but increased meat and fish consumption damages food security as these resources are transported from developing to developed counrtries, making the meat and fish scarce in the developing countries
29
Q

impact of new pests and pathogens on food security

A
  • farming is affected by pests and pathogens that attack crops or livestock which reduces the amount of food rsources available which threatens food security
30
Q

impacts of environmental changes cuased by humans on food security

A
  • affects food production and farming leading to widespread famine and damages food security
31
Q

effects of sustainability issues such as costs of agricultural inputs and use of land for biofuel production on food security

A
  • more sustainable and environmentally frienfdly methods are often less productive and result in a lower yield, affecting food security
32
Q

What are biotic factors of an ecosystem?

A
  • Organisms that affect each other
33
Q

What are abiotic factors in an ecosystem?

A
  • Non-living factors that affect and influence where organisms live
34
Q

What is the carbon cycle and why is it important?

A
  • The process that moves carbon between different biotic and abiotic factors
  • Carbon is important as it affects temperature, makes food and provides energy
35
Q

What are the main components of the carbon cycle?

A
  • CO2 in the air
  • Organisms
  • Plants
  • Decomposers
  • Fossil fuels
36
Q

What are the main processes of the carbon cycle?

A
  • Combustion
  • Respiration
  • Photosynthesis
  • Feeding
  • Death
37
Q

What is the water cycle and why is it important?

A
  • Movement of water between different factors in an ecosystem
  • Important as it helps provide enough water for organisms to survive
38
Q

What are the components of the water cycle?

A
  • Clouds
  • River/lake
  • Ocean
  • Plants
39
Q

What are the processes of the water cycle?

A
  • Evaporation
  • Transpiration
  • Condensation
  • Precipitation
  • Runoff
40
Q

What is the nitrogen cycle and why is it important?

A
  • The cycling and movement of nitrogen and nitrates through different parts of an ecosystem
  • Important as nitrogen is needed for plant growth
41
Q

How does nitrogen gas go from the air to soil

A
  • By NITROGEN-FIXATION, where nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules can convert gas to nitrates in the soil
  • Lightning can provide enough energy for unreactive nitrogen to form compounds that dissolve in clouds and are added to soil when it rains
42
Q

How is ammonia in soil absorbed by plants

A
  • NITRIFICATION, which is where nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrites, and the nitrates
  • ASSIMILATION, which is plants absorb nitrates and ammonium ions, used to create molecules such as proteins and DNA
43
Q

How is ammonia produced by dead matter?

A
  • DECOMPOSITION, where decomposers feed on waste and corpses, converting urea to ammonia
44
Q

How are nitrates in soil converted back to nitrogen gas?

A
  • In DENTRIFICATION, denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates back into atmospheric nitrogen
45
Q

What is an indicator species?

A
  • An organism whose absence or presence indicators the levels of a certain type of pollution
46
Q

What are some indicator species of polluted water?

A
  • Invertebrates such as sludge worms and bloodworms exist in high levels of water pollution
  • Invertebrates such as freshwater shrimp and stonefly nymph exist when there are lower levels of water pollution
47
Q

What are some indicator species of polluted air?

A
  • Blackspot fungus cannot grow where there is a lot of sulfur dioxide, so is an indicator of good air quality
  • Certain species of lichen can tolerate a lot of sulfur dioxide in air, so their presence is an indication of bad air quality
48
Q

How does temperature affect rate of decomposition food preservation?

A
  • Decreasing temperature means decomposers are less active, so rate decreases
  • Can be done through freezing or using fridges
49
Q

How does water content affect rate of decomposition food preservation?

A
  • Decreasing water means decomposers cannot survive and carry out reactions, decreasing rate
  • This can be done through dehydrating or salting and drying
50
Q

How does oxygen availability affect rate of decomposition in food preservation?

A
  • If oxygen availability decreases, decomposers cannot survive, so rate decreases
  • Can be done through packaging in unreactive gas like Nitrogen

Bio P2 (4 decks)

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