The Living World Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
A community of plants and animals living together in a habitat. The lives of animals and plants are closely related to each other and the climate and soil of the area that they live in. They exist on a range of sizes (pond to lake or woodland). Largest are called biomes and exist on a global scale.
What is a producer?
An organism or plant that is able to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis.
What is a consumer
A creature that eats herbivores and plant matter
What is a decomposer?
An organism such as a bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead tissue, which is then recycled to the environment.
What is a food chain?
The connections between different organisms (plants and animals) that rely upon one another as their source of food.
What is a food web?
A complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food.
What is a nutrient cycle?
A set of processes whereby organisms extract minerals necessary for growth from soil or water, before passing them on through the food chain − and ultimately back to the soil and water.
What biome are Large parts of North America and Europe covered in?
Temperate forest
What biome is Northern Africa dominated by
Desert
Where are tropical rainforest usually found?
On the equator and between the two tropics ( largest is found in Brazil )
The distribution of biomes is due to :
Climate
Altitude
Ocean currents
Wind direction
Proximity to the sea
Where are Temperate Forests / Deciduous and coniferous forests found?
Located 50-60 degrees north of the equator (where we are)!
UK: Deciduous trees shed their leaves in winter to keep moisture – more leaves = more transpiration.
Canada: Coniferous trees are evergreens – they keep their leaves to maximise photosynthesis during the brief summer months.
Why is it colder near to poles?
The low angle of the sun means energy is more dispersed (less concentrated) on the earth’s surface (1).
The sun’s energy is scattered and reflected by the atmosphere (1).
Ice, water and snow are good reflectors of solar radiation (1).
Because of the tilt of the earth, polar regions receive no sunlight for up to 6 months of the year (1)
What is abiotic factors and two examples?
An abiotic factor is a non-living part of an ecosystem that influences its environment
Example: temperature, amount of water available
What is a biotic factor and two examples?
A biotic factor is a living organism that shapes its environment.
Examples: animals and plants
Where does energy for an ecosystem come from
The sun
The air above the pond
Birds and insects
Food found from the surface of the water and in the water and in the pond margins
The pond surface
Animals breath through lungs gills and their skin
Lots of sunlight and light available
The pond margin
Shelter for insects and plants
Lots to eat and lots of sunlight and air
Mid pond water
Fish are the main predators.
Food found within the water column and surface and bottom
Pond bottom
Lots of shelter in mud and gravels , food sinks to the bottom for scavengers and decomposers
Less light and oxygen
Deep water, shallow water, pond margin
Over 30cm deep, 10-30 cm deep, 0-10 cm deep
Example of a food chain
Producer: detritus (decaying leaves)
Consumers: midge larva , great diving beetle, fish, heron
Where are they found Tropical rainforests (4 mark question)
Tropical rainforests can be found within the latitudes of the tropic of cancer and the tropic of Capricorn, around the equator.
They are located in the continents of Central/ South America, Africa, south east Asia and Oceania.
Countries that have tropical rainforests include Brazil, the Congo and Papua New Guinea.
Some examples of tropical rainforests are the Amazon and Borneo.
There are no tropical rainforests found in Europe or Antarctica.
