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ESS YR 11 topic 2.1 - 2.2 terms and definitions > Topic 2.1 - 2.2 > Flashcards

Topic 2.1 - 2.2 Flashcards

1
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

A complex system including all living organisms and their environment.

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2
Q

Why are ecosystems considered open systems?

A

They exchange energy and matter with their surroundings.

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3
Q

What is the primary source of energy in ecosystems?

A

Sunlight.

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4
Q

What process do producers use to convert sunlight into energy?

A

Photosynthesis.

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5
Q

According to the law of conservation of energy, what happens to energy in an ecosystem?

A

It transforms but is not destroyed.

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6
Q

How is energy lost in an ecosystem?

A

As heat during metabolic processes.

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7
Q

What makes matter cycling in ecosystems different from energy flow?

A

Matter is recycled, while energy flows and is lost as heat.

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8
Q

What key cycles are involved in matter recycling?

A

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.

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9
Q

How does human activity disrupt energy and matter flow in ecosystems?

A

Through pollution, deforestation, and climate change.

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10
Q

What role does photosynthesis play in the carbon cycle?

A

It absorbs CO₂, helping regulate atmospheric carbon levels.

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11
Q

What is the second law of thermodynamics in the context of ecosystems?

A

Energy transformations lead to degradation and heat loss.

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12
Q

How much energy is typically transferred to the next trophic level?

A

About 10%.

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13
Q

Why do energy pyramids have a pyramid shape?

A

Due to energy loss at each trophic level.

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14
Q

What is primary productivity?

A

The rate at which producers create biomass from energy.

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15
Q

Define gross productivity in an ecosystem.

A

Total energy captured by photosynthesis.

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16
Q

What is net primary productivity (NPP)?

A

Biomass left after accounting for energy lost in respiration.

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17
Q

What is trophic efficiency?

A

The percentage of energy passed to the next trophic level.

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18
Q

How is ecological efficiency calculated?

A

(Energy at higher level / Energy at lower level) × 100.

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19
Q

What are ecological pyramids?

A

Diagrams showing numbers, biomass, or energy across trophic levels.

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20
Q

How do energy pyramids differ from biomass pyramids?

A

Energy pyramids always have a traditional pyramid shape due to energy loss.

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21
Q

What is bioaccumulation?

A

Gradual buildup of pollutants in an organism over time.

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22
Q

How does biomagnification affect predators?

A

Pollutants increase at each trophic level, impacting higher-level predators.

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23
Q

What are microplastics, and why are they harmful?

A

Tiny plastic particles that persist in the environment, harming wildlife.

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24
Q

Define maximum sustainable yield (MSY).

A

The largest sustainable harvest from a species’ stock.

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25
Q

What practices help achieve MSY in forestry?

A

Sustainable logging and balanced harvesting.

26
Q

What is the biosphere?

A

Earth’s system where life exists, comprising individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems.

27
Q

What factors affect population size?

A

Natality, mortality, immigration, and emigration.

28
Q

What is an ecological niche?

A

The role and habitat requirements of a species in an ecosystem.

29
Q

Define intraspecific competition.

A

Competition between individuals of the same species.

30
Q

What is interspecific competition?

A

Competition between different species for the same resource.

31
Q

Describe parasitism.

A

A relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of another.

32
Q

What is mutualism?

A

A relationship where both species benefit.

33
Q

Explain the concept of carrying capacity.

A

Maximum population size an environment can sustain.

34
Q

What is a J-curve in population growth?

A

A growth pattern showing rapid growth followed by a sudden drop.

35
Q

Define an S-curve.

A

Population growth that stabilizes at carrying capacity.

36
Q

How do density-dependent factors regulate population size?

A

They limit growth as population density increases.

37
Q

Give an example of a density-independent factor.

A

Natural disasters like floods or fires.

38
Q

What is a keystone species?

A

A species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem.

39
Q

Describe the concept of r-strategists.

A

Species that reproduce quickly with many offspring, suited for unstable environments.

40
Q

What are K-strategists?

A

Species with fewer offspring, high parental care, suited for stable environments.

41
Q

What is a clade?

A

A group consisting of an ancestor and all its descendants.

42
Q

How does human technology affect carrying capacity?

A

Increases it by improving resource extraction and adaptability.

43
Q

What role do decomposers play in ecosystems?

A

Break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients.

44
Q

Define density-dependent limiting factors.

A

Factors like predation and disease that impact populations based on density.

45
Q

What is an example of mutualism in nature?

A

Lichen, a partnership between fungus and algae.

46
Q

What are autotrophs?

A

Organisms that produce their own food from inorganic sources.

47
Q

What are heterotrophs?

A

Organisms that obtain food by consuming other organisms.

48
Q

How do chemoautotrophs obtain energy?

A

By oxidizing inorganic molecules like hydrogen sulfide.

49
Q

What is secondary productivity?

A

The rate consumers convert energy from food into their own biomass.

50
Q

What is Gross Secondary Productivity (GSP)?

A

Total biomass from food minus energy lost in feces.

51
Q

Define ecological efficiency in a food chain.

A

The ratio of energy passed from one trophic level to the next.

52
Q

What is a food web?

A

A network showing how energy and matter flow between organisms in an ecosystem.

53
Q

How does a pyramid of biomass differ in aquatic vs. terrestrial ecosystems?

A

Aquatic pyramids can be inverted due to fast turnover in primary producers.

54
Q

What is entropy in an ecological context?

A

A measure of disorder, increasing with energy transformations in ecosystems.

55
Q

What is a realized niche?

A

The actual conditions in which a species lives due to competition and other factors.

56
Q

What is the role of trophic levels in energy flow?

A

They represent stages in energy transfer within an ecosystem.

57
Q

Why is the law of conservation of energy essential in ecosystems?

A

It explains why energy is transformed but never created or destroyed.

58
Q

How does energy degradation impact higher trophic levels?

A

It results in less usable energy as energy moves up the food chain.

59
Q

What is net secondary productivity (NSP)?

A

Biomass remaining after accounting for respiration losses in consumers.

60
Q

Why are density-independent factors important for population dynamics?

A

They control population sizes regardless of density, such as climate events.

ESS YR 11 topic 2.1 - 2.2 terms and definitions (2 decks)

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