Topic 7 Ecology Flashcards
Define Habitat?
The place where all organisms live
Define Community ?
The population of different species living in a habitat
Define Abiotic Factors ?
Non-living factors of the environment e.g temperature
Define Biotic ?
Living Factors of the environment e.g Food
Define Ecosystem?
The interaction of a community of living organisms with the non-living parts of an Ecosystem
What type of resources do plants need to reproduce?
Plants need light space and water and minerals
What is Interdependence?
Where in a community each species depends on other species for things such as food, shelter,pollination and seed dispersal
What is meant by a stable community?
Where all species and environmental factors are in balance so that the population sizes are roughly constants
Give an example of a stable community
Tropical Rainforest
Give 4 examples of Abiotic Factors that could affect a plant species
Light Intensity
Temperature
Carbon Dioxide Level
Soil Ph and mineral content
Give an example where a decrease in an abiotic factor could affect the population in a community (2)
For example a decrease in light intensity could decrease the level of photosynthesis in a plant species (1) This could affect plant growth and cause a decrease in population size (1)
Name 4 Biotic Factors
New predators
Competition
New pathogens
Availability of Food
Give an example where a biotic factor may decrease the population
For example , a new predator may cause a decrease in prey population
What is an Adaptation?
A characteristic that allows an organism to survive
What are 3 possible adaptations can be ?
Structural
Behavioural
Functional
What is a structural adaptation example ?
Structural adaptation is the features of an organisms body structure e.g colour or shape
For example Arctic Foxes have white fur so they’re camouflaged against the snow to avoid predators
Explain Behaviour Adaptations ?
These are ways organisms behave
for example many species migrate to warmer countries in winter to avoid problems of living in cold winters
Explain Functional Adaptations
These are things that go inside the organisms body
for example, desert animals conserve water by producing very little sweat and small amount of concentrated urine
What type of adaptation is being described when penguins huddle together?
Behavioural Adaptation
Explain one structural adaptions penguins have to its environment
A penguin has flippers to swim for food
Explain the term “producers”
Producers make their own food using the sun for example algae, or green plants
As the population of prey INCREASES the population of the predators
INCREASES
As the population of predators INCREASES the population of prey ..
DECREASES
In the food chain
grass > grasshopper > rat > snake
- name the producer of the food chain
- how many consumers are there in the chain
- Name the primary consumer
- All the rats in the area are killed , explain two effects that this could have on the food chain
- grass
- three
- grasshopper
- population of grasshoppers would increase , population of snakes would decrease
What are two ways to study the distribution of an organism?
• measure how common an organism is in two sample areas (using quadrats) and compare them
• study how the distribution changes across an area by placing quadrats along a transect
What is the method of studying the distribution of organisms using quadrats ?
- Place a 1m squared quadrat on the ground at a random point within the sample area .
- Count all organisms within quadrat
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 as many times as u can
- Work out the mean number of organisms per quadrat within the first sample area
- repeat steps 1-4 in second sample area
- Finally compare the two means
What type of change could affect the distribution of organisms ?
Environmental Change
Give 3 examples of Environmental Change
A change in the availability of water
A change in the temperature
A change in the composition of atmospheric gases
Give an example of how the distribution could be affected by the availability of water
The distribution of some animal and plant species in the tropics can change between wet and dry seasons . For example each year in Africa large numbers of wildebeest migrate moving north and then back south as the rainfall patterns change
Give an example of a distribution to the change in temperature
The distribution of bird species in Germany is changing because of a rise in average temperature. e.g the european bee eater bird is a mediterranean species but it’s now present in germany
What is Transpiration ?
When water evaporates from plants
How are clouds formed
When the warm water vapour travels higher up it cools and condenses and forms clouds
How does the water cycle benefit plants and animals
By providing them with fresh water
What causes organisms to decay ?
Microorganisms digest them
Which three processes in the carbon cycle releases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
Combustion
Respiration
Decomposition
What is an example of a structural adaptation of a camel
They have large feet to stop them falling into sand
Give three resources animals compete for
Water
Food
Territory
Give three resources plants compete for
Water
Space
Light
What is a biotic factor that might affect a community
The spread of a new disease
What is an extremophile species
An organism that can tolerate very hot or cold places
Name the order of the food chain
Producers
Primary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Tertiary Consumers
As energy is passed through the food chain energy is..
LOST
Define abundance
How many organisms there are
Define Distribution
Where the organisms are
Whta are the two sampling methods
Quadrats
Transects
Explain what sampling means and why it is often used (2)
Sampling means only counting a subset of the organism in a habitat (1) This is done because it would be impossible or very time consuming , to count all the organisms
Explain the process of the water cycle (4)
• Energy from the sun comes down and causes water to evaporate and turns it into water vapour which goes into the air
• Water vapour accumulates in the sky and condenses into clouds
• Liquid water falls back down in form of precipitation
• Water seeps in soil
Explain the process of the carbon cycle (5)
• Green plants and algae take in CO2 from atmosphere and convert it into glucose
• Carbon in plants can be eaten by animals and they respire
• plants and animals die, the organism are decayed by microorganisms that live in the soil , break into smaller pieces until has been released as CO2 during microbial respiration
• If organisms are decayed anaerobically there are slowly converted into fossils fuels
• Fossil fuels are burned by humans in factories and co2 is released
Why is recycling nutrients important for organisms?
Because it provides nutrients that loving organisms use to grow and reproduce
Define decay (1)
Break down of organic matter by the action of decomposition
What is the main gas in biogas
METHANE
What would lowering the temperature do to decay
decrease the rate
Once the gas has been removed from a biogas generator a sludgy material is leftover. What is it used for and why ?
Used as a fertiliser as it has high levels of nutrients/minerals
What type of decay do biogenerators carry out
Anaerobic decay
Why would the rate of decomposition fall if the soil becomes waterlogged
The decomposition will become slower as the water fills gaps so there will be less oxygen and less aerobic respiration
2 examples of detritus feeders
wood lice, worms
What is the definition of biodiversity
variety of different species within an ecosystem
What contributes most to air pollution
Acidic gases from burning fossil fuels
Smoke from combustion
What contributes most to land pollution
Landfill and nuclear waste
What contributes most to water pollution
Fertiliser from agriculture
Sewage from cities
Explain Why is it good to maintain a high biodiversity(3)
• Many of our medicinal drugs comes from wild species
• Many species provide specific services e.g pollination
• Increase stability of our ecosystem
What are some impacts of rapid growth in human population
• More waste is being produced
• More resources are being used
How do you maintain biodiversity?
• Breeding programmes
What is a QUOTA
how much co2 can be released by businesses each year
What are some negative effects of deforestation
no photosynthesis
burning
reduce biodiversity
What is the difference between global warming and climate change ?
Global warming refers to overall increase of the earths atmosphere
Climate change consequences of global warming and refers to effects on the climate such as shifts in weather patterns
Explain the practical to investigate the effect of temperature on the decay of milk
1) Start by labelling a test tube “lipase”
2) Then use a pipette to place 5cm cubed of lipase solution in the test tube
3) We label another test tube “milk”
4) Add five drops of the indicator Cresol red
5) Now add 5cm cubed of milk and 7cm cubed of sodium carbonate solution
6) The solution should be purple
7) We place a thermometer into the test tube containing milk
8) Place both test tubes into a beaker of water at first chosen temperature (20 degrees)
9) Wait till the temperature of the solutions is the same as the water in the beaker
10) Use a pipette to transfer 1cm cubed of lipase solution to the test tube containing milk and we stir the solution
11) Start a timer at same time
12) In acaidic conditions (release of fatty acids) the indicator changes from red to yellow
13) Once it turns yellow stop timing and record results
14) repeat experiment at a range of different temperatures
What are the variables in the decay experiment
Independent- Tenperature
Dependent - time takes for the milk solution to turn yellow
Control - volume of different solutions
Why is it important that we use a clean test tube for the milk solution for each experiment
Any traces of lipase will trigger reaction before we are ready
Explain the process of water cycle
• Energy from the sun cause the water to evaporate from the surface of the sea
• The water vapor travels into the air and cools down forming clouds
• The water in the clouds falls as precipitation (rain , snow, hail , sleet)
• Once the water hits the ground some of it evaporates back into the atmosphere as water vapor
• Some water passes through rocks and forms aquifers
• The water in the rivers and streams eventually drain back into sea
How do living organisms play a role in the water cycle ? (3)
•Plants take up water in their roots. The water moves up the plant in their xylem and passes out of the leaves through the stomata as water vapour.
This is called transpiration.
• Animals releases water in their urine, faeces and when they exhale
What process do decomposers carry out ?
Aerobic respiration
What are the three conditions needed for rapid decomposition
• High temperature
• Amount of water
• Amount of Oxygen
Explain how temperature affects the rate of decomposition
Decomposition takes place faster in warmer conditions, because the decomposes use enzymes to break down the plant material and the enzymes work faster in warner conditions
How does the amount of water affect the rate of decomposition
Decomposition takes place faster if the water is moist. Many of the chemical reactions in decay require water
Explain how the amount of oxygen affects the rate of decomposition
decomposes carry out aerobic respiration which requires a good supply of oxygen
How does mixing compost help
• Allows more oxygen to pass through the centre and it breaks up clumps, increasing the surface area for decomposers to act on
What happens to decomposition in the absence of oxygen
In the absence of oxygen the decomposing microorganisms carry out anaerobic decay. This produces biogas (includes methane)
What does burning fossil fuels produce
sulphur dioxide
How does large biodiversity help ecosystems
makes them more stable
Define biodiversity
variety of all the differences species of organisms on earth
What are the three types of pollution waste management causes
Water pollution
Air pollution
Land pollution
Explain how waste management effects water pollution
untreated sewage is accidentally released into rivers or streams. Rivers and streams can also be polluted with fertilisers from farms.
They can cause oxygen levels to fall. Killing aquatic organisms
Explain how waste management affects air pollution
burning coal in power stations can release acidic gases and these can cause acid rain. Burning can release smoke. Kill plants and animals.
Explain how waste management affects land pollution
land fills destroy habitats for plants and animals. Toxic chemicals can also leach out of landfills and pollute the soil. Can kill living organisms
Define the tropic levels
1 - produces
2 - primary consumer
3- secondary consumer
4- tertiary consumer
define apex predators
carnivores with no predators
How do decomposers secrete enzymes back to the environment
The enzymes digest the dead material and the same food molecules then diffuse back into the decomposer
What tropic level is the longest and at the bottom of a pyramid of biomass
level 1
What are the six biological threats of food security
• birth rate is increasing
• our tastes are changing
• new pests and pathogens
• environment change
• resources becoming expensive
• conflicts
How is biomass being used in modern farming methods
Animals are farmed outside
their biomass is being used in respiration to provide energy for movement and keeping their body temperature constant less biomass/energy to produces food
Explain an example of factory farming
A temperature controlled shed
space is limited which restricts movement
kept in warm conditions and they have a a higher protein diet
efficiency of food production is increased
What’s an advantage of Factory farming (2)
• more efficient as less biomass is wasted by the animals in respiration
• they control what animals eat, their food contains all nutrients and they waste less food
What’s a disadvantage of factory farming (2)
• Infectious diseases, spread more easily, treated with antibiotics, may increase risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria
• ethical reasons
What happens when fish stocks fall
Therefore not enough mature fish left to breed . commercial fishing will not be possible
What are the two main strategies to reverse low fish stocks
• Fishing industry has strict quotas on the number of fish that can be caught for each species (remaining can then breed and bring population to normal level)
• Net size must be large enough that smaller fish are not caught, fish can develop into adults and reproduce
How has Rice been genetically modified
Golden rice contains molecules which help production of vitamin a
Advantage of mycoprotein
• suitable for vegetarians
• grow large amounts in a small amount of space very efficient protein source
What are the three main parts of the brain and their roles
• Cerebral Cortex - consciousness,memory,language
• Medulla - heart rate, breathing rate
• Cerebellum- balance and controls movement
What are the three main ways scientists investigate the brain
• Studying patients with brain damage
• Electrically stimulating different parts of the brain
• MR1 Scanning
What is the process of the eye detecting light
• Light rays pass through the cornea which starts the focussing of light rays
• Light rays pass through pupil
• Light rays pass through lens which focuses rays to back of eye
• Retina contains receptors for light
• Receptor cells sends electrical impulses down the optic nerve and to the brain
Function of the iris
Controls size of pupil
Function of sclera
Protects eye
Function of ciliary muscles
focusing
What happens to our eye in a dark room
A drop in light intensity is detects by our receptor cells
they send electrical impulses to the brain
brain sends electrical impulses to specific muscles in eye
muscles contract to become larger
