The Study Of A Habitat Flashcards
Mapping: factors to consider
flat or hilly ground? exposed or surrounded by walls? north or south?
5 fauna
ladybird greenfly blackbird caterpillar rabbit
5 flora
buttercup broadleaf grasses dandelion daisy nettle
ladybird adaptation
bright colours warn off predators because of bad taste, strong mouthparts to consume aphids
greenfly adaptation
green colour gives camouflage
buttercup adaptation
bright flowers to attract insects for pollination
dandelion adaptation
parachutes on seeds for ease of dispersal
to calculate frequency of an organism
quadrat
to calculate the percentage cover of an organism
gridded quadrat
frequency formula
number of quadrats containing organism divided by number of quadrats thrown
percentage cover formula
number of hits divided by the total number of points (x100 for %)
pooter
used to collect insects, spiders, grass hoppers
method:
1. place flexible tube over the organism
2. suck through the other tube with gauze until the organism is in the jar
beating tray
used to collect insects, spiders, caterpillars
method:
1. place under a tree/bush
2. shake or beat the tree/bush until the organisms fall onto the beating tray
pitfall trap
used to collect crawling insects, snails
method:
1. place intoa hole in the soil
2.cover with a raised rock to prevent drowning
sweep net
used to collect insects,spiders
method:
1. sweep along tall grass or hedges
2. identify the organisms caught
mammal trap
used to collect mice, shrews
method:
1. place some bait into the trap and leave in the habitat for a period of time
2. once the organism enters, the trap door will close behind it so it cannot escape
food web example 4 levels
leaves- snail- hedgehog- fox
abiotic factors in an ecosystem
soil pH, air temperature/soil temperature, light intensity
soil pH effect
affects plant distribution; some plants might favour alkaline soil so it wont go in acidic soil
air temperature/ soil temperature effect
temperature can affect the rate of photosynthesis as it is controlled by enzymes. a higher temperature will increase photosynthesis rate, leading to faster plant growth
light intensity effect
light is needed for photosynthesis, so more light intensity will increase the rate of photosynthesis. shaded areas may have less plants growing as a result a lack of light.
soil pH instrument and method
instrument: pH meter
1. place probe into the soil and record result after one minute
2. results can be made more reliable by taking many samples
air temperature/soil temperature instrument and method
instrument: thermometer/ soil thermometer
1. record the air temperature with a thermometer/ place the thermometer into the soil and record
2. results can be made more reliable by taking many samples
light intensity instrument and method
instrument: photographic light meter
1. hold the meter out and record the light intensity
2. repeat for varying degrees of light intensity for more reliable results
errors: accidental shading
identify sources of error in your survey
miscounting
misidentification of a plant/animal
sample taken was not random
sample size was too small
factors that may affect the results of a survey
weather conditions: animals hide away, insects cannot fly in the wind
small sample size may not show the presence of rare plants or animals
age, sex and condition the organism is in may influence its location
human impact on grassland ecosystem
deforestation and pollution
deforestation
by cutting trees habitats are destroyed, food sources for organisms who rely on trees as a source of food can be short in supply as result, leading to death or the need for organisms to migrate to another habitat for food.
pollution
can lead to air pollution which can cause respiratory issues for organisms who inhale toxic air as a result of air pollution caused by the use of vehicles on the road and industrial factories releasing smoke into the atmosphere.
Subjective
A personal judgment as to the number (not recommended)
Objective
An independent method of calculating numbers is used
