Topic 5 - Ecosystems Flashcards
Unit 1: Living with the Physical Environment (Section B - The Living World)
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a natural system made up of plants, animals and the environment. There are often complex interrelationships (links) between the living and nonliving components of an ecosystem.
What is an biotic component?
Biotic components are the living features of an ecosystem such as plants and fish
What is an abiotic component?
Abiotic components are non-living environmental factors such as climate (temperature and rainfall), soil, water temperature and light.
What are some examples of a small scale ecosystem?
- Pond
- Hedgerow
- Woodland
What are some examples of a global scale ecosystem?
- Tropical rainforest
- Deciduous woodland
What is a producer?
Producers convert energy from the environment (mainly sunlight) into sugars (glucose). The most obvious producers are plants that convert energy from the Sun by photosynthesis.
What is a consumer?
Consumers get energy from the sugars produced by the producers. A pond snail is a good example of a consumer because it eats plants.
What is a decomposer?
Decomposers break down plant and animal material and return the nutrients to the soil. Bacteria and fungi are good examples of decomposers.
What is a food chain?
A food chain shows the direct links (hence the term ‘chain’) between producers and consumers in the form of a simple line
What is a food web?
A food web shows all the connections between producers and consumers in a rather more complex way
What is nutrient cycling?
Nutrients are foods that are used by plants or animals to grow. There are two main sources of nutrients:
- rainwater washes chemicals out of the atmosphere
- weathered rock releases nutrients into the soil.
When plants or animals die, the decomposers help to recycle the nutrients making them available once again for the growth of plants or animals. This is the nutrient cycle.
What is an example of a Woodland food web?
- Sycamore (tree) is eaten by the earthworm and bank vole
- Earthworm is eaten by the bank vole, common frog and badger
- The bank vole is eaten by the grass snake and barn owl
- The common frog is eaten by the grass snake and barn owl
- The grass snake is eaten by the badger
- The barn owl is eaten by nothing
- The badger is eaten by nothing
What are the impacts of change on an ecosystem?
If there is a change to one of the components, e.g., all the bank voles are eaten, then the rest of the species in the food web won’t get their food
What causes change to ecosystems?
- Natural changes: e.g., droughts can be devastating to ponds and lakes, and they can also dry out plants. Fish starved of oxygen may not survive
- Changes due to human activities: e.g., removing habitats, can have knock-on-effects through the entire food web
How can changes affect the woodland ecosystem?
e.g., if a wolf was added to the ecosystem, then more badgers would be eaten, meaning there will end up being more earthworms
What is a biome?
A large scale ecosystem, with similarities in climate, plants and animals
What are some examples of biomes?
- Desert
- Tundra
- Savanna
- Rainforest
- Temperate grassland
- Polar
- Deciduous and coniferous forests
Where are Deserts located?
Roughly 30 degrees north and south of the equator
What is the climate like in a Desert?
- Hot and dry
- Winter temperature: 50 degrees Fahrenheit
What animals are there in a Desert?
- Perentie
- Fennec fox
- Kangaroo rat
What vegetation is there in a Desert?
- Cactus
- Ephemerals
- Acacia trees
What is the climate like in a Savanna?
- Dry winters
- Wet summers
Where are Tundras located?
From the Arctic Circle to about 60-70° north (e.g. Canada, Northern Europe). There are only very small areas of tundra in the southern hemisphere due to the lack of land at these latitudes.
What is the climate like in a Tundra?
- 15 - 20 cm rain annually
- -34 degrees celsius in the winter
- 3 - 12 degrees celsius in the summer
What vegetation is there in a Tundra?
- Shrubs
- Mosses
- Grass
What vegetation is there in Savanna?
Small wide trees
Where are Savannas located?
Between 15 - 30 degrees north and south of the equator
What animals are there in a Tundra?
- Polar bears
- Ox
- Wolves
- Birds
What animals are there in a Savanna?
- Giraffes
- Lions
- Cheetahs
- Hyenas
- Zebras
- Elephants
Where are Tropical Rainforests located?
Close to the equator
What is the climate like in a Tropical Rainforest?
- Hot
- Wet all year
What vegetation is there in a Tropical Rainforest?
- Shrubs
- Tall, straight trees
- Coffee beans
- Cocoa beans
What animals are there in a Tropical Rainforest?
- Snakes
- Alligators
- Indian elephants
- Trantulas
What vegetation is there in a Temperate Grassland?
Grass
Where are Temperate Grasslands located?
Roughly 30-40° north and south of the Equator. Inland away from coasts, with hot summers and cold winters.
What animals are there in a Temperate Grassland?
- Cow
- Sheep
What is the climate like in a Temperate Grassland?
- Hot summers and winters
- 30 - 40 degrees celcius
Where are Polars located?
Arctic/Antarctic
What is the climate like in a Polar?
Dry conditions
What vegetation is there in a Polar?
- Flowers
- Mosses
- Shrubs
What animals are there in a Polar?
- Polar bears
- Arctic foxes
What is the climate like in a Deciduous and Coniferous Forest?
- Summer: above 20 degrees celsius
- Winter: below -15 degrees celsius
Where are Deciduous and Coniferous Forests located?
Roughly 50 - 60 degrees north of the equator
What vegetation is there in a Deciduous and Coniferous Forest?
- Fir
- Spruce
- Pine trees
What animals are there in a Deciduous and Coniferous Forest?
- Squirrels
- Birds
- Racoons
- Deer
