Semester 2 Exam Year 11 Flashcards
Define Abiotic
Abiotic factors are non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.
Define Biotic
Biotic factors are the living components of an ecosystem. They are sorted into three groups: producers or autotrophs, consumers or heterotrophs, and decomposers or detritivores
How do Abiotic factors effect distribution and Abundance
Abiotic factors affect the distribution and abundance through the climate (how hot, cold, rainy humid it is), topography/geography (how rocky the ground is, how high above sea level is it) seasons, location on globe (hotter the closer we get to the equator) and desertification (deserts growing bigger and bigger)
How do Biotic factors effect distribution and Abundance
Biotic factors affecting the distribution and abundance through the biome (the distribution of vegetation, levels of pests, predators and prey, the water availability)
Define Symbiotic Relationships
A special type of interaction between species. Sometimes beneficial, sometimes harmful, these relationships are essential to many organisms and ecosystems, and they provide a balance that can only be achieved by working together
Define Mutualism
This is when both organisms benefit from the relationship, for example sharks and the parasite feeding fish that clean them. The shark benefit from being cleaned and the fish get the sharks left overs.
Define Parasitism
Parasitism is a relationship between two things in which one of them (the parasite) benefits from or lives off the other, like fleas on your dog
Define Commensalism
An association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm. For example, the relationship between cattle egrets and cattle.
Define Interspecies/ Interspecific
Interspecific competition is a form of competition in which individuals of different species compete for the same resource in an ecosystem for example food or living space
Define o Intraspecies / Intraspecific
Intraspecific competition is an interaction whereby members of the same species compete for limited resources. This leads to a reduction in fitness for both individuals.
What are Adaptations
An inherited characteristic that helps an organism to survive long enough to reproduce more successfully in its changing environment and can either be structural or behavioural
What are Behavioural Adaptations
Ways an organism act to help them survive in their environment. For example, migration, hibernation, warning calls, mating dances, hunting in packs
What are Structural Adaptations
Actual body parts or coloration that help an organism survive in their environment. For example, camouflage, mimicry, bent hind legs, sharp teeth and claws, body structures
What are the Behavioural Adaptations of Animals
Migration Hibernation Living in a Group Tool Use Playing Dead Calling Threatening Gestures
What are the Structural Adaptations of Animals
Camouflage/ Colouration Mimicry Bent hind legs Eyes Teeth
What are the Behavioural Adaptations of Plants
Tropism
Dormancy
Phototropism
Gravitropism
Explain Tropism
movement of a plant toward or away from a stimulus. Toward is called positive, away is called negative.
Explain Dormancy
Many plants go dormant in the winter. Fall is the time of year when plants are preparing for dormancy
Explain Phototropism
When the plant senses light and the shoots (stems & leaves) grow toward the light source. This is a positive tropism because the plant is growing toward the stimulus
Explain Gravitropism
When growth of a plant changes in response to direction of gravity
What are the Structural Adaptations of Plants
Structures adaptations on the body: holdfasts, empty space for water storage, catch animals for minerals, tallness, heartiness, thorns, flexibility, floatation devices. For protection, obtaining food and dispersing seed
What Structural Adaptations do plants undergo for protection
Develop thorns, bad taste, poison, coloration, spikes
How are seeds dispersed
Carried by wind (parachutes, wings) Carried on animal’s fur or feathers Carried by water (float) Eaten by animals Mechanically propelled
What Structural Adaptations do plants undergo for obtaining food
All plants do photosynthesis and make glucose in their leaves. The larger the leaves the more Sun they can capture.
Define Innate Behaviours
When a behaviour is essentially the same in all members of a species, the behaviour is call innate or inborn behaviour. It is genetically controlled.
Define Learned Behaviours
Learned behaviours are those that develop or change as we are shown how to do something. Copy, trial-and-error are some of the ways animals learn. When a behaviour is changed because of experience, learning has occurred
Types of innate behaviour
Rhythmic behaviours Eg. Eating, sleeping, seasonal migration Communication behaviours Reproductive Behaviours Competitive Behaviours Dominance Behaviours Territorial and social interactions
Types of learned behaviour
Conditioning – respond to stimulus that normally does not elicit response
Operant conditioning – animal relates behaviour with reward or punishment and repeats or avoids behaviour
Habituation – cease to respond to stimuli
Imprinting – association with an object after exposure to it very early in life
Observational – learns from observing actions of others
What are food webs
Where most organisms eat more than JUST one organism. When more organisms are involved it is known as a FOOD WEB. Food webs are more complex and involve lots of organisms
What are food chains
The energy flow from one trophic level to the other is known as a food chain. A food chain is simple and direct. It involves one organism at each trophic level
What are producers/autotrophs
A group of organisms that can use the energy in sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into Glucose (food)
What are consumers/heterotrophs
Organisms that do not make their own food. Another term for Heterotroph is consumer because they consume other organisms to live Ex. Rabbits, Deer, Mushrooms
What are Chemotrophs (Autotrophs/ Producers)
Autotrophs that get their energy from inorganic substances, such as salt. Live deep down in the ocean where there is no sunlight Ex. Bacteria and Deep Sea Worms
What are the different Heterotrophs/consumers?
Scavengers/ Detritivores Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores Decomposers
What is the ecological food pyramid
An ecological pyramid shows the relationship between consumers and producers at different trophic levels in an ecosystem. Shows the relative amounts of energy or matter contained at each trophic level. The Pyramid shows which level has the most energy and the highest number of organisms
What are the different Trophic Levels
Producers/ Autotrophs
Primary Consumers – eat autotrophs (producers)
Secondary Consumers – eat the primary consumers
Tertiary Consumers – eat the secondary consumers
Decomposers – bacteria and fungi that break down dead organisms and recycle the material back into the environment
Define Organic
Relating to or derived from living matter.
Define Inorganic
Not consisting of or deriving from living matter.
What are the steps in the carbon cycle
Carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide from respiration and combustion.
Carbon dioxide is absorbed by producers to make carbohydrates in photosynthesis.
Animals feed on the plant passing the carbon compounds along the food chain.
What are the steps in the nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen Fixation- Special bacteria convert the nitrogen gas (N2) to ammonia (NH3) which the plants can use.
Nitrification is the process which converts the ammonia into nitrite ions which the plants can take in as nutrients.
What are the steps in the phosphorus cycle
Phosphorus moves in a cycle through rocks, water, soil and sediments and organisms. Here are the key steps of the phosphorus cycle: Over time, rain and weathering cause rocks to release phosphate ions and other minerals.
Rain and weathering cause rocks to release phosphate ions and other minerals. This inorganic phosphate is then distributed in soils and water.
Plants take up inorganic phosphate from the soil.
The plants may then be consumed by animals. Once in the plant or animal, the phosphate is incorporated into organic molecules such as DNA. When the plant or animal dies, it decays, and the organic phosphate is returned to the soil.Within the soil, organic forms of phosphate can be made available to plants by bacteria that break down organic matter to inorganic forms of phosphorus. This process is known as mineralisation.
Phosphorus in soil can end up in waterways and eventually oceans. Once there, it can be incorporated into sediments over time.
What are positive effects humans have on the environment and ecosystem
Plant trees
Clean rivers
Pick up trash.
Recycling
What are negative effects humans have on the environment and ecosystem
Chopping down forests Cars burning off greenhouse gases. Pollution Waste dumping Over hunting of animals Over fishing Industrial gases
What is a micro-organism
microscopic organism, especially a bacterium, virus, or fungus.
What are quadrants
A square frame made of wood or metal. A number of small areas of a habitat selected at random to act as samples for assessing the local distribution of plants and animals.
What are transects
A line across a habitat or part of the habitat from which the amount of plants can be measured at intervals.
What is carrying capacity
The natural limit to the number of organisms that can occupy an environment. This depends if the environmental factors such as; seasonal changes, and environmental events such as fires or cyclones.
Predators effects on population numbers
As the predators numbers rise the prey numbers will fall then the prey numbers will start to grow resulting in the predators numbers rising again. This creates a cycle where neither predator or prey will completely go extinct.
Physiological Adaptation in Animals
Internal systematic responses to external stimuli in order to help an organism maintain homeostasis.
Define Species Distribution
The way the organism is spread out over an area.
Define species Abundance
The relative representation of a species in a ecosystem and is shown as the number of individuals per sample.
