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Biology > Topic 7 - Ecology > Flashcards

Topic 7 - Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 4 levels of an ecosystem?

A
  1. Individual Organism
  2. Population
  3. Community
  4. Ecosystem
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2
Q

What is an individual organism?

A

A single member of a species.

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3
Q

What is a population?

A

The number of the SAME species living in the same area at the same time.

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4
Q

What is a community?

A

A community is the number of different species living and interacting in the same area.

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5
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

The interaction between a community and the non living parts of the environment.

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6
Q

What is competition?

A

Animals competing for the same resource (which is limited)

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7
Q

What could species be competing for? (Plants and Animals)

A

Space, Food, Water (animal).
Water, space, light and minerals (plants)

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8
Q

What is an adaptation?

A

An animal with certain features/behaviours/characteristics to help the species survive and reproduce, is said to be adapted habitat.

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9
Q

What are some examples of an ecosystem?

A
  1. Garden Pond
  2. Woodland
  3. Coral Reef
  4. Dessert
    Any non living factor that a species interacts with will do.
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10
Q

What is interdependence?

A

Interdependence takes place in a community, it is where each species rely on each other, for food space etc.

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11
Q

What is meant by a ‘stable community’ ?

A

A stable community is one in where all the species and environmental factors are in the same balance, so the population size remains fairly constant.

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12
Q

What can be interpreted to show interdependence, and how?

A

A food web can be shown, and for example if a lion, is connected to a bird, and earthworm. And a bird is removed, the amount of lions would decrease slightly, as they have lost food.

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13
Q

What is an ‘abiotic factor’?, give one example!

A

A factor which is not living, for example light intensity.

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14
Q

How does the abiotic factor temperature effect a community

A

Affects the rate of photosynthesis in plants.

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15
Q

What are 6 abiotic factors?

A
  1. Temperature
  2. Moisture levels
  3. Wind intensity
  4. Wind direction
  5. Carbon dioxide levels for plants
  6. Light intensity.
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16
Q

What is meant by a ‘biotic factor? Give one example!

A

A biotic factor is a factor that is living, and example new predators.

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17
Q

What are 4 biotic factors?

A
  1. Availability of food.
  2. New predators
  3. New Pathogens
  4. Competition
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18
Q

What are the three types of adaptations?

A
  1. Structural
  2. Behavioural
  3. Functional
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19
Q

What is a structural adaptation? Give one example!

A

A physical part of feature on an organism, an example being white fur on a bear for camouflage.

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20
Q

What is a behavioural adaptation? Give one example!

A

The way an organism behaves, an example being a rabbit digging burrows in which they live in.

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21
Q

What is a functional adaptation? Give one example!

A

Biological processes INSIDE of the organism, and example being snakes producing venom to kill prey.

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22
Q

Do animals with a small surface area to to volume ratio live in cold conditions? explain why.

A

Small SA;VOL ratio minimises heat loss to their surroundings.

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23
Q

Do animals with a large surface area to volume ratio live in cold conditions? Explain why/why not!

A

Large SA:VOL ratio increases heat loss, so will live in hotter conditions.

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24
Q

What is an extremophile?

A

An organism which lives in extreme conditions.

25
What is an example of where an extremophile lives, and what are the conditions?
Example ; Deep sea volcanic vents. Conditions ; Hot, high pressure, no sunlight.
26
What is an chemoautotrophs?
It is an extremophile which is a bacteria which uses inorganic chemicals to survive.
27
What is a producer?
An organism which is a photosynthetic organism, they produce their own food using sunlight. .
28
What are 3 characteristics of producers?
1. They are at the start of every food chain. 2. They can photosynthesise. 3. They make glucose from photosynthesis.
29
What is a primary consumer?
Primary consumers EAT producers.
30
What is a secondary consumer?
Secondary consumers EAT primary consumers.
31
What is a tertiary consumer?
Tertiary consumers EAT secondary consumers.
32
What do arrows in the food chain represent?
Transfer of energy from one level of the food chain to another.
33
What are predators and what are prey?
1. Predators are consumers and kill and eat other animals. 2. Those eaten from the predators are prey.
34
How do predators and prey prey fluctuate in a stable community using a graph (5 points)
1. The number of predators increases as there is more prey available 2. The number of prey then decreases as there are now more predators 3. The number of predators decreases as there is now less prey available 4. The number of prey increases as there are now fewer predators 5. Cycle repeats.
35
'Describe a method to measure the population size of a common species in a habitat' (6)
1. Use two tape measures to lay out the survey area (10x10). In the chosen habitat such as a school field. 2. Use a random number generator to create a set of coordinates for your first quadrat. 3. Count the number of the chosen species plant species that are found in the chosen habitat. 4. Record this number in a results table, and repeat 1-3, until you have reached your number of chosen plant species in 10 quadrats. 5. Estimate the populations of the species using the equation.
36
What is the equation which links population size to the quadrat experiment?
Estimated population size = Total area/area sampled x total number of species counted.
37
'Investigate an effect of a factor on the distribution of species method' (4)
1. Set up your transect up through the area you are investigating, place a quadrat at equal intervals along the transect. 2. Record your number of your chosen plant species inside each quadrat, record your abiotic factor at each quadrat. 3. Record results in results table. 4. Plot your data in a graph and describe any relationship that can be observed.
38
What is a transect?
A straight line that cuts through a natural landscape
39
What are the three main plants of the carbon cycle?
1. Carbon is taken out of the atmosphere by producers via photosynthesis. 2. It is passed onto animals and decomposers by feeding. 3. It is returned to the atmosphere by respiration, in plants and decomposing microorganisms.
40
What are the 4 main processes of the water cycle?
1. Evaporation 2. Transpiration 3. Condensation 4. Precipitation
41
What happens in the water cycle in the following? 1. Evaporation 2. Condensation 3. Precipitation
1. Evaporation - energy from the sun turns water from a liquid to a gas. 2. Condensation - When water vapour cools, water turns from a gas to a liquid. 3. Precipitation - The falling of rain, snow or sleet from the sky.
42
How does transpiration work in the water cycle?
Plants allow some water to evaporate from their leaves. This ensures water is continually 'pulled' from the soil travels through the transpiration stream.
43
What role do microorganisms play in cycling materials through an ecosystem?
They digest/break down dead organisms and this being known as decomposers.
44
What are the two main groups of decomposers?
Bacteria and Fungi
45
What is decomposition?
It is the process by which waste products or dead organisms are broken down and the materials they contain are returned to the environment.
46
How does temperature affect the rate of decay? (3)
At warmer temperatures, enzymes involved in decomposition can work at a faster rate, increasing decay. If the temperature is too high, the enzyme will denature and the rate of decay will decrease. At low temperatures, the rate of decay is slow, as decomposition works slowly.
47
How does water affect the rate of decay?
Decomposers require water to survive. Many decomposers also function by secreting enzymes onto decaying matter and absorbing the products. The rate of decay decreases alongside the decrease of water.
48
How does the availability of oxygen work affect the rate of decay?
Needed for lots of decomposers, as they need it for aerobic respiration. For those that require aerobic respiration, the rate of decay decreases with the decline of oxygen. However, some respire anaerobically, so no effect.
49
What do farmers use for optimum conditions, and how does this work? (Natural)
Farmers use compost, a natural fertiliser. One the compost is spread onto the soil, it is broken down my microorganisms, this ensures the recycling of minerals.
50
What does anaerobic decay produce? What is the products used as?
Methane Gas and carbon dioxide. The methane produced can be used as a fuel.
51
What are biogas generators?
Large containers in which animal or plant waste is allowed to decay anaerobically.
52
How does a biogas generator work? (6 marks)
1. Organism uses an inlet for animal and plant waste material. 2. Enters a biogas generators 3. Methane produced by anaerobic decay. 4. Methane is burned. 5. There is an outlet for decomposed material which can be used as fertilisers in crops.
53
'The methane produced in biogas generator is used for a reason' What is the methane used for?
Cooking, heating or powering a turbine to generate electricity.
54
'What is the effect on temperature on the rate of decay?' Describe a method (6)
1. Place 20cm3 of fresh milk into 3 beakers and decide on the temperatures, but ensure they are different. 2. Use universal indicator paper or solution or a PH meter to determine the pH of milk of each beaker. 3. Cover each beaker with clingfilm and place into a water bath at the required temperature. 4. Measure the pH of milk in the three beakers after 24, 48, 72 hours and record results in table. 5. Plot a graph based on results.
55
What does a change in distribution mean? What are the factors that affect this?
A change in where the organism lives. Factors affecting this are temperature, availability of water and composition of atmospheric gases.
56
How does temperature affect the 'effect on distribution'
1. Organisms have adaptations that enable them to survive within a certain temperature range. 2. As climate change increases and the average temperatures increase, the distribution of species is changing.
57
How does water affect the 'distribution of species'
All organisms require water so survive, water may also provide a habitat species and is essential for growth. So animals may move based on where there is the most water.
58
How does the composition of atmospheric gases affect the 'distribution of species' (Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide.
Oxygen is required for aerobic respiration, and some animals can only survive with high oxygen, so an increase in global warming, means less oxygen concentration so those animals cannot survive. Carbon dioxide is required for photosynthesis, some species are sensitive to air pollution so growth rates and death rates may change my concentration.
59
What 3 factors impact environmental change.
1. Seasonal changes 2. Geographic changes 3. Human Interaction

Biology (5 decks)

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