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Biology > Section 4- Ecology And The Environment > Flashcards

Section 4- Ecology And The Environment Flashcards

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1
Q

Sulphur dioxide

A

SO2

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2
Q

sulphuric acid

A

H2SO4

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3
Q

Water vapour

A

H2O(g)

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4
Q

Nitrous oxide

A

NO

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5
Q

Nitric acid

A

HNO3

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6
Q

Carbonic acid

A

H2CO3

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7
Q

Carbon dioxide

A

CO2

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8
Q

What effects does acid rain have on forests?

A

Dissolved and washed away nutrients in the soil which help trees to grow. Wear away the protective coating on leaves, which prevents photosynthesis and increases infection. Weakens trees and makes them more susceptible to be attacked by disease, insects or bad weather.

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9
Q

What effects does acid rain have on lakes?

A

Runs off land and into lakes and rivers. Acidity increases, water clearer and animals decline as acidity causes breathing problems. Prevents eggs. Toxic substances released in water harming fish etc. Fragile ecosystem- species depend on each other to survive.

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10
Q

What effects does acid rain have on buildings?

A

Speeds up erosion. Especially alkali rocks

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11
Q

Acid rain process

A

Sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide carried in atmosphere and react to water vapour, falling as acid rain.

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12
Q

How can acid rain be prevented?

A

Agreements to reduce sulphur dioxide pollution. Greater energy emissions so less coal is burned. Low sulphur petrol, alternative energy solutions and catalytic converters.

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13
Q

Lichens

A

Highly sensitive to subtle changes in the environment. Eg quality of air. Indicator species.

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14
Q

Carbon monoxide

A

CO

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15
Q

How is carbon monoxide formed?

A

When substances containing carbon are burned in a limited supply of oxygen.

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16
Q

What substances cause carbon monoxide?

A

Petrol and diesel burned in vehicle engines. Exhaust gases.

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17
Q

Why is carbon monoxide a dangerous pollutant?

A

Colourless, odourless, tasteless and can cause death by asphyxiation (oxygen deprivation)

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18
Q

Why does carbon monoxide cause death?

A

Haemoglobin in red blood cells combined more strongly with carbon monoxide than oxygen. The greater the exposure to CO the more it binds with haemoglobin, and cannot combine with oxygen.

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19
Q

Plan an experiment to show how acid rain reduces plant growth.

A

Place cotton wool in 5 Petri dishes and add 10 cress seeds per dish. Add 10ml of either 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.06, and 0.1%HCl to each dish. Grow cress seeds for several days. Measure height of each plant in millimetres and record on a result table. Calculate average plant height for each acid concentration. Draw a graph.

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20
Q

Natural processes and human processes that cause carbon dioxide.

A

Respiration, burning fossil fuels, deforestation.

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21
Q

Natural processes and human processes that cause nitrous oxide.

A

Released from bacteria, fertilisers and exhaust fumes.

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22
Q

Natural processes and human processes that cause methane.

A

Rotting plants and decomposition of waste, cattle reading and rice growing.

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23
Q

Natural processes and human processes that cause CFCs.

A

Fridges, and aerosol sprays.

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24
Q

Why does does water content increase?

A

Due to increased temperature in the atmosphere.

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25
Q

Which gases make up the greenhouse layer?

A

Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and CFCs.

26
Q

Greenhouse effect.

A
  1. Short wave radiation from the sun.
  2. Some readmitted back into atmosphere and into space as long wave radiation.
  3. Energy lost in space.
  4. Remaining energy trapped by greenhouse gases and kept within the atmosphere. Reemitted back to earth.
  5. This trapped heat energy heats up the earth.
27
Q

Pollution.

A

Releasing substances into the atmosphere in amounts that cause harmful effects and which natural processes cannot be easily removed.

28
Q

4 effects of global warming.

A
  • changing ecosystems and species becoming extinct
  • melting of ice caps and glaciers -> rising sea levels.
  • changes in ocean currents
  • changing rainfall patterns.
29
Q

Why are forests described as an environmental buffer?

A

Intercept heavy rainfall. Release water slowly into soil streams and rivers. Tree roots hold soil in place. Keep levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen consistent.

30
Q

Equations for photosynthesis and respiration.

A

PS- water+carbon dioxide-> oxygen+glucose.

R- oxygen+ glucose-> water +carbon dioxide.

31
Q

Deforestation

A

Large scale removal of forests.

32
Q

Why did we clear forests?

A

Get timber. Clear way for agriculture. Clear way for urbanisation. Firewood

33
Q

How does deforestation affect the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

A

CO2 levels increase. Fewer trees means less photosynthesis so more CO2 because less CO2 is used.

34
Q

Leaching.

A

Removal of nitrates from soil by water running through and off soil.

35
Q

How does deforestation affect levels of nitrates in the soil and how would this affect the ability of this soil to support new plant life.

A

Decrease level of nitrates. Reduced plant growth because plants need nitrates for growth and repair.

36
Q

Soil erosion.

A

Washing away of water from a habitat, usually by moving water.

37
Q

Soil erosion natural balance.

A

Soil on steep slopes is thin but able to support growth of trees. The canopy of trees protects this soil from being washed away by rain.

38
Q

How does deforestation lead to soil erosion.

A

Soil no longer protected by leafy canopy so soil is washed away, reaching rivers and streams.

39
Q

What happens to the soil (soil erosion)

A

Clogs rivers and streams making them not free flowing. Leads to floods, ecological damage and destructions dams.

40
Q

What are the three main pollutants of freshwater?

A

Nitrates from fertilisers, organic waste, detergents.

41
Q

Why do farmers add fertilisers to crops?

A

To replace mineral ions lost when crops are harvested.

42
Q

Why are the mineral ions in fertilisers easily leached.

A

They are very soluble so easily dissolved. These can then be easily leached and enter waterways.

43
Q

Eutrophication

A

The rapid increase of mineral ions in lakes and rivers.

44
Q

Why is rapid eutrophication less likely when farmers use organic fertilisers?

A

The mineral ions are less soluble and do not leach as quickly.

45
Q

Algal blooms can be made worse when.

A

Leaching occurs in still waters. Warmer weather evaporated water, increasing the mineral concentration. Warm weather increases enzyme activity so more respiration.

46
Q

Algal blooms reduced when

A

Occur in moving water because mineral ions are rapidly diluted and water in continuously reoxygenated.

47
Q

Eutrophication flow chart.

A
  1. As nitrate levels rise algae rapidly reproduce. They use nitrates to make proteins for growth.
  2. Algae form an algal bloom
  3. Algae prevent light from penetrating into the water.
  4. Submerged plants cannot photosynthesise so die
  5. Algae die because they run out of nitrates.
  6. Bacteria decay dead plants and algae releasing more nitrates.
  7. Bacteria reproduce and their respiration uses more of the oxygen dissolved in the water.
  8. Water may become anoxic and all life will die.
48
Q

Explain the relationship between greenhouse gases and global warming.

A

Increased greenhouse gases-> increased greenhouse effects so earth warms up causing global warming.

49
Q

Ecosystem

A

A system of organisms which interact with each each other and their environment.

50
Q

Producer

A

Plants which photosynthesise to produce food and so provide the energy for the ecosystem.

51
Q

Consumers

A

Animals that eat plants and/ or animals.

52
Q

Decomposers

A

Organisms eg fungi and bacteria. Break down dead matter in order to recycle nutrients.

53
Q

Abiotic

A

Physical non-living components eg air temperature

54
Q

Biotic

A

Living components

55
Q

Habitat

A

Place where an organism lives. Ecosystems contain a variety of habitats.

56
Q

Population

A

Total number of individual organisms of a particular species in an ecosystem at a particular time.

57
Q

Community

A

Total number of populations of all species living in an ecosystem at a particular time.

58
Q

Biodiversity

A

The variety of different species of both plant and animal life within an ecosystem.

59
Q

When are quadrants used?

A

When we need to calculate how many organisms of a species there are in a particular habitat

60
Q

Sample

A

Small representative part of the population.

61
Q

When would you use a transfer line?

A

To look at the distribution of species in a particular area. Quadrant places along transact line systematically.

Biology (2 decks)

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