Topic 4- Sampling Techniques And Measuring Abiotic And Biotic Factors Flashcards
What animals are found in pitfall traps?
Insects
Woodlice
Ants
Animals that move along the ground
Why do we have to use quadrats and pitfall traps to count organisms?
It would be impossible to count all the individuals in many ecosystems
We have to sample from a whole group and estimate
What animals would not be trapped by pitfall traps?
Spiders
Flying insects
Jumping insects
What would be the reason for finding more predators in a trap then prey?
The predators could have eaten the prey or the predators move around more
Why is a lid placed on top of a pitfall trap?
So birds ect can’t get into the trap
It stops the rain from getting in and drowning what’s inside
Why does the trap need to be exactly level with the soil?
So animals can just fall in
What a quadrats used to measure?
Abundance if plants
What must you do to the quadrat to give a valid result?
Throw it randomly
What happens when a plant covers more than one quadrat square?
Only count it once
What are biological keys used for?
Helps identify organisms
What are biotic factors?
A living factor which effects organisms
What is an abiotic factor?
A non living factor which effects organisms
What do we use a light metre for?
Measuring light intensity
What do we use to measure pH?
A pH metre
What do we use a moisture metre for?
Soil moisture
What do we use to measure temperature?
A thermometer
Why do we need to make sure that we don’t shade a light meter?
This will block the light you are measuring
Why do we have to point the light meter in the same direction?
Because of the positioning of the sun
Why can’t you take a measurement when it’s sunny and the next when it is cloudy?
The clouds will block the sunlight you are measuring
How can you avoid getting the wrong result when using a pH meter?
Thoroughly cleaning the probes so you don’t cross contaminate and transfer the pH
What 2 things could change soil moisture?
Precipitation
Drainage
How can you avoid getting the wrong result when using a moisture meter?
Making sure you don’t crops contaminate the probes an transfer moisture
Name 11 abiotic factors
Soil moisture Carbon dioxide level Nitrate content of soil Oxygen concentration River flow speed pH Temperature Phosphate concentration Wind speed Rainfall Air humidity
Name 6 biotic factors
Competition Predication Parasitism Availability of food Disease Grazing
