Succession and conservation

Question 1

defintion of biosphere

Answer 1

The part if the planet earthh where life occurrs

Question 2

Definition of ecosystem

Answer 2

A reasonably self contained area together with all its living organisms

Question 3

Definition of habitat

Answer 3

The physical or abiotic part of an ecosystem

Question 4

Definition of microhabitat

Answer 4

A localised specific habitat within a larger habitat

Question 5

Definition of terrestrial

Answer 5

An ecosystem on dry land

Question 6

Definition of aquatic

Answer 6

An ecosystem in water

Question 7

Definition of community

Answer 7

The living or biotic part of an ecosystem

Question 8

Definition of biotic

Answer 8

Any living or biological factor

Question 9

Defintion of abiotic

Answer 9

Any non living or physical factor

Question 10

Definition of population

Answer 10

The members of the same species living in one habitat

Question 11

Definition of species

Answer 11

A group of organisms that can sucessfully interbreed

Question 12

Examples of abiotic factors

Answer 12

Climatic factors : temperature, humidity
Soil factors : PH, mineral supply
Human factors : pollution
Topographic factors: altitude, slope, aspect

Question 13

Definition of density-independent factors

Answer 13

The size of the effect is independent to the size of the population

Question 14

What is INTERspecific competition

Answer 14

Competition for resources where one species will out compete another one

Question 15

What is INTRAspecific competition

Answer 15

Competition for resources between members of the same species

Question 16

Why is intraspecific competition more significant than interspecific?

Answer 16

Members of the same species have the same niche and so compete for the same resources. It has a stabilising effect on populations

Question 17

What relationship do parasites and their hosts have?

Answer 17

Symbioitic

Question 18

What does an organisms ‘niche’ mean?

Answer 18

The abiotic and biotic factors that the organism needs in its habitat

Question 19

What is the competitive exclusion principle ?

Answer 19

Two species cannot coexist in the same habitat if they have the same niche, they will compete and one species will win the competition.

Question 20

What is a specialist?

Answer 20

Species with a narrow niche.

Question 21

Why can many specialists exist in the same habitat?

Answer 21

They are not competing.

Question 22

Where are specialists usually found?

Answer 22

Abundant, stable habitats

Question 23

What is sucession?

Answer 23

Ecosystems are not fixed, but constantly change with time

Question 24

What is the climax community

Answer 24

Species colonise a habitat in predictable order until a stable order is reached.

Question 25

What is the pioneer species?

Answer 25

The organisms colonising in early sucession

Question 26

What is a sere

Answer 26

The whole succession

Question 27

What does primary sucession start with?

Answer 27

Rock or sand, an inorganic base

Question 28

What does secondary succession start with?

Answer 28

Soil, but no organisms present

Question 29

What is a xerosere?

Answer 29

Succession where there is no water

Question 30

What is a lithosere?

Answer 30

Primary succession from bare rock.

Question 31

What is a plagioclimax?

Answer 31

Deflected succession, caused by human intervention such as deforestation or clearing land for farming.

Question 32

What is conservation?

Answer 32

Management of our environment to maintain biodioversity

Question 33

What does conservation involve?

Answer 33

Active intervention to manage sucession and maintain a wide variety of different plagioclimaxes.

Question 34

What is the capture-mark recapture technique?

Answer 34

Estimates population size by capturing a sample of animals, counting them and marking them, releasing them, capture second sample, count number of marked and non marked

Question 35

What conditions need to be met for capture, recapture formula to be correct?

Answer 35

Marking not affecting survival. Marked animals must have time to randomly mix with population Population must stay constant between first and second sampling.