The Living World Flashcards
What is an ecosystem
An ecosystem is a natural system that has biotic (living) parts e.g. plants, fish and animals and abiotic (non-living) parts e.g. soil, light and climate.
An example of a small-scale ecosystem
A pond or a hedgerow
An example of a global-scale ecosystem
A tropical rainforest or a desert
What are global-scale ecosystems called
Biomes
What is a producer
A producer is an organism or plant that is able to take energy from the sun and convert it into sugars (glucose) by photosynthesis
What is a consumer
A consumer is creatures that eat producers (plants) or other consumers
What is a decomposer
A decomposer is an organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead material e.g. dead produces, dead consumers, or fallen leaves. Bacteria and fungi are decomposes.
What is the food chain
The food chain shows what eats what in an ecosystem. It shows the direct link between producers and consumers in the form of a simple line
What is the food web
Food web shows lots of food chains and how they overlap. It’s more complex than a food chain
What is the nutrient cycle
The nutrient cycle represents nutrients passing between the various living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem
What does leaching mean
Leaching is when the rain water washes the nutrients away
All parts of the rainforest are dependent on each other, what would happen if something changes
Everything would be affected
What are 3 plants that have adapted to be physical conditions
Fan palms
Buttress roots
Drip tip leaves
What are 2 animals that have adapted to the physical conditions
Lead tailed geckos
Sloths
What is biodiversity
Bio diversity is the variety of organisms living in a particular area - both plants and animals
What are the 5 major causes for deforestation
Subsistence farming
Commercial farming
Logging
Mineral extraction (mining)
Population growth
Mines create jobs, how many people have they employed
3000
How many tonnes of carbon can the Amazon store
100 billion tonnes
How many people live in the Amazon rainforest
20 million
The Amazon rainforest is an important part of the water cycle, what 3 things do they do
Intercept rainfall
Store water
Return water to the atmosphere through transpiration
How have roots adapted to hot deserts
Many roots will be very long and deep access groundwater or may spread out wide to catch as much water as possible when it rains
How have leaves adapted to hot deserts
Leaves are often very small or seasonal (only growing during the rainy season)
How have spines healed plants in hot deserts
Spines also helps some limit water loss and also protect the plant from being eaten by animals
How can short life cycles help plants in hot deserts
Short life cycles mean that some pants are able to grow, flower and release seeds in just a few weeks
