Study Of Ecosytem

Question 1

How did you collect the fauna from an ecosystem you have studied

Answer 1

Using a pooter - suck organism into jar

Question 2

How do you identify collected fauna?

Answer 2

Using a key

Question 3

A quantitive study of a named plant species

Answer 3

Quadrat- count dandelion at each point of quadrat

Question 4

How do you ensure the sample is random?

Answer 4

Throw quadrat randomly behind you

Question 5

Why is it essential to use a random sampling technique?

Answer 5

To prevent bias

Question 6

Suggest abiotic factors that could affect the distribution of named plant species

Answer 6

Temperature - enzymes
Light intensity - photosythesis
PH

Question 7

State one way human activity can have an impact on your named ecosystem

Answer 7

Pollution

Question 8

How is it possible for a secondary consumer to be a primary consumer of another chain

Answer 8

It could be an omnivore

Question 9

Caterpillars have different mouth parts than butterflies, how does this eliminate competition?

Answer 9

Feed on different parts of plant

Question 10

To carry out a quantitative study, name the method you would employ

Answer 10

Quadrat

Question 11

Named animal and plant adaption to its habitat

Answer 11

Animal
Lady bird - acid, brightly coloured = warns predators
Hedgehog - spikes
Plants dandelion - long roots

Question 12

Give 5 plants found in hedgerow

Answer 12

Buttercups, dandelions, daisies, nettles, grasses

Question 13

Give 5 animals present in hedgerow

Answer 13

Fox, rabbits, earthworms, snails, slugs, spiders ladybirds, blackbirds

Question 14

What is a qualitative study?

Answer 14

It records the presence or absense of something

Question 15

What is a quantitative study?

Answer 15

Records the numbers or amounts that are present

Question 16

Give one example of a possible error in ecological surveying and state how this error can be eliminated

Answer 16

Changing conditions - study ecosystem during different seasons
Non-random - throw behind your back
Miscalculation

Question 17

Safety hazard in ecosystem studied

Answer 17

Accidental ruin home of animal

Question 18

Use of beating tray

Answer 18

Shake bushes and it’s for insects

Question 19

Pitfall trap use

Answer 19

Sink into soil or sand and traps crawling animals

Question 20

Use of sweep net?

Answer 20

Sweep through grass and it will collect insects

Question 21

Use of mammal trap

Answer 21

Set trap with bait for mammals

Question 22

Use of tullgren funnel

Answer 22

Heat from bulb cause small organisms to move down - centipedes

Question 23

Use of cryptozoic trap

Answer 23

Placed on soil left for some time, over night to collect animals at night or that prefer moist conditions. Slugs, snails

Question 24

Name a method you would employ for the quantitative study of a species of small herbaceous plant

Answer 24

Quadrat

Question 25

Name one edaphic factor that could affect the distribution of a herbaceous plant in the ecosystem

Answer 25

PH

Question 26

Name of ecosystem?

Answer 26

Grassland / hedgerow

Question 27

Draw a food web from the ecosystem you have studied which contains at least three food chains and four trophic levels

Answer 27

``` Hawk Badger Robin Thrush Caterpillar Slug Dock leaves [page 30 exam papers] ```

Question 28

Suggest why ecological surveying is important

Answer 28

Detects changes | Monitors biodiversity

Question 29

What is meant by the term variation?

Answer 29

Differences between organisms of the same species

Question 30

Give a reason why there might be variation in the height of a mature plant species in the ecosystem

Answer 30

Difference in light levels, altitude or aspect

Question 31

``` Name appropriate organisms for pyramid of numbers and indicate which would be most likely to be herbivore Large box Small box Large box Small box [small = big animal] ```

Answer 31

Parasite Badger Slug Dock leaves Herbivore- first large box

Question 32

What is the significance of energy loss at each stage in a food chain in relation to i) the length of the food chain ii) the number of organisms at the final trophic level

Answer 32

i) limits length | ii) limits number

Question 33

If a niche becomes vacant in an ecosystem for a decomposed species, suggest why some other decomposer species may not be able to occupy the vacant niche

Answer 33

May not be suitably adapted

Question 34

Describe a procedure for estimating rabbit numbers in an ecosystem

Answer 34

Capture-recapture -> Portion of population is captured using mammal traps and marked. The number is recorded and then released. Next day, repeat capture procedure and record number captured and number of recaptured [marked] No.captured day 1 x day 2 / number of animals recaptured

Question 35

Give two possible effects of an ecosystem of the extinction of a plant species

Answer 35

Decrease in consumer numbers Increase in numbers of other plants Soil erosion

Question 36

Suggest one advantage and one disadvantage of biological control of a pest organism

Answer 36

Advantage - no harmful chemicals used | Disadvantage - possible extinction of species / balance of nature disturbed

Question 37

How did you investigate light intensity and what is it in ecosystem?

Answer 37

Light meter was used to read the light intensity in different areas. Repeat readings a number of times to find an average Lower near hedge

Question 38

How did you investigate the PH and what is it in ecosystem?

Answer 38

Add a few drops of universal indicator to a soil sample on white tile and match resulting colour to the colour chart and read PH Neutral or slightly basic soil of PH

Question 39

As part of your study you constructed a pyramid of numbers. Name the species that occupied the top of your pyramid and what is the main prey of the species

Answer 39

Fox | Rabbit

Question 40

Name one animal from your named ecosystem and describe how you carried out a quantitative study of that animal

Answer 40

Rabbit - capture/recapture

Question 41

Suggest one way in which marking an animal might endanger it

Answer 41

More conspicuous to predators | Toxic marker

Question 42

Ecosystems are subject to changes, both natural and artificial. Mention one of each type of change as it applies to your named ecosystem

Answer 42

Natural - Weather such as rain, storms, floods = damage | Artificial - overhunting, fertilisers [man-made]

Question 43

How did you present the results of your survey? / how did you record results

Answer 43

Bar chart Graph [found frequency and recorded info on bar chart]

Question 44

How did you investigate temperature

Answer 44

Using a thermometer will give the degree of hotness of soil, water or air of an ecosystem.

Question 45

In ecological studies what is a key?

Answer 45

A guide to identification