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BIOLOGY-EVIE > Topic 7- Ecology > Flashcards

Topic 7- Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

what is a habitat

A

a place where an organism lives

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2
Q

what is a population

A

all the organisms of one species living in a habitat

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3
Q

what’s community

A

the populations of different species living in a habitat

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4
Q

what’s abiotic factor mean

A

non living factors of the environment- eg. temperature

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5
Q

what does biotic factor mean

A

living factors of the environment- eg. food

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6
Q

what does eco system mean

A

the interaction of a community of living organisms (biotic) with the non liivng (abiotic) parts of their environment.

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7
Q

what do plants compete for

A

light, space, water, mineral ions (nutrition)

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8
Q

what do animals compete for

A

space (territory), food water and mates

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9
Q

what is interdependence

A

in a community, each species depends on the other species for things such as food, shelter, pollination and seed dispersal

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10
Q

what is a stable community

A

where all the species and environmental factors are in

balance so that population sizes remain fairly constant.

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11
Q

what can abiotic and biotic factors do in an ecosystem

A

vary

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12
Q

give some examples of abiotic factors

A
  • light intensity
  • temperature
  • moisture levels
  • soil pH and mineral content
  • wind intensity and direction
  • carbon dioxide levels for plants
  • oxygen levels for aquatic animals
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13
Q

give some examples of biotic factors

A
  • availability of food
  • new predators arriving
  • new pathogens
  • one species outcompeting another so the numbers are no longer sufficient to breed.
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14
Q

what’s an adaptation

A

Organisms have features (adaptations) that enable them to survive in the conditions in which they normally live

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15
Q

what are the three types of adaptations

A

structural, behavioural, functional

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16
Q

what’s a structural adaptation

A

features of an organism’s body structure- eg. shape or colour

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17
Q

what’s a behavioural adaptation

A

way they behave eg. migration

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18
Q

what’s a functional adaptation

A

things inside an organism’s body that can be related to a process eg. reproduction and metabolism

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19
Q

what is an extremophile

A

organisms that live in environments that are very extreme, such as at high temperature, pressure, or salt concentration

eg. bacteria living in deep sea vents

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20
Q

what do food chains start with

A

the sun and then the producer (these produce their own food using energy from the sun)

usually green pants or algae- make glucose by photosynthesis

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21
Q

what is biomass

A

when a green plant produces glucose, some of it is used to make other biological molecules in the plant and these biological molecules are the plant’s biomass/

mass of living material

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22
Q

what can biomass also be thought as?

A

energy stored in a plant

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23
Q

give an explanation of the food chain

A

Producers are eaten by primary consumers, which in turn may be eaten by secondary consumers and then tertiary consumers.

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24
Q

what are predators

A

consumers that hunt and kill other animals

their prey are what they eat

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25
Q

give trends of a stable community

A
  • the population of any species is usually limited by the amount of food available
  • if the population of the prey increases, then so will the predators
  • as the population of predators increases, the population of the prey decreases
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26
Q

why are predator-prey cycles always out of phase with each other?

A

it takes a while for one population to respond to changes in the other population

eg. if the no. of rabbits inc, then the no. of foxes doesn’t increase immediately, cos it takes time for them to reproduce.

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27
Q

what do environmental changes cause

A

distrobution of organisms to change

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28
Q

give the three examples of environmental changes that can affect an organism

A

availability of water- rainfall patterns
change in temp
change in composition of atmospheric gases- air pollution

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29
Q

how are some environmental changes caused

A

by seasonal factors, geographical factors or human interaction

eg. rise in temp- due to global warming , caused by human activity

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30
Q

why are all materials in the living world are recycled

A

to provide the building

blocks for future organisms.

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31
Q

what happens in the water cycle

A

1) energy from SUN makes water EVAPORATE fromt eh land and sea, turning it into WATER VAPOUR. Water also evaporates from plants (transpiration)
2) warm water vapour carried upwards (warm air rises). At higher point, it COOLS and CONDENSES to form clouds
3) water falls from clouds as PRECIPITATION onto land- provides fresh water for plants and animals
4) drains into the sea- whole process starts again

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32
Q

how are elements cycled back to the start of the food chain

A

by decay

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33
Q

what are living organisms made of

A

materials they take in from the world around them

34
Q

explain the role of microorganisms in cycling

materials through an ecosystem

A
  • materials get passed up the food chain
  • theyre returned to the environment in waste products, or when the organisms die and decay
  • most materials are broken down (digested) by micro organisms
  • decay puts mineral ions etc back into the soil
35
Q

what conditions do micro organisms decay better in

A

warm, moist aerobic (oxygen rich) conditions- micro organisms are more active

36
Q

what is decay like in a stable community

A

materials that are taken out of the soil and used by plants etc are balanced by those that are put back in (constant cycle).

37
Q

what happens in the carbon cycle

A

1) Green plants and algae remove CO2 from the atmosphere during PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

The carbon is used to used to make GLUCOSE, which can be turned into carbohydrates, fats and proteins (make up bodies of the plants and algae)

2) when plants and algae respire- some carbon is returned to atmosphere as CO2
3) when plants and algae are eaten by animals, some carbon becomes part of the FATS and PROTEIN in their bodies. THE CARBON MOVES THROUGH THE FOOD CHAIN
4) animals respire- some carbon returned to atmosphere as CO2
5) plants animals algae die- detritus feeders and microorgansims feed on their remains- when they respirs, some CO2 returned to atmosphere.
6) animals also produce waste which is broken down by df.
7) combustion of wood and fossil fuels releases CO2 back into the air.
8) so carbon and energy is constantly being cycled- form the air, through food, algae, animals, dfs and micro organisms- back into the air again.

38
Q

what is compost?

A

decomposed organic matter (eg. food waste)- used for natural fertiliser for crops and garden plants.

39
Q

what do farmers do to get good compost

A

try to provide the ideal conditions for quick decay (to form compost)

40
Q

name four factors that affect decay

A

temp, oxygen availability, water availability, no. of decay organisms

41
Q

how does temp affect decay

A

warmer= increased decay- bcos of increased rate of enzymes

too hot= decomposition is slowed down/stopped- bcos enzymes are denatured

really cold- slow decay too

42
Q

how does oxygen availability affect decay

A

micro organisms need oxygen to respire

BUT anerobic microorganisms don’t need it

43
Q

how does water availability affect decay

A

faster in moist environments- organisms involved in decay need water to carry out biological processes.

44
Q

how does number of decay organisms affect decay

A

more microorganisms and dfs = faster decomposition

45
Q

how is biogas made

A

by anaerobic decay of waste material

made in a simple fermenter called a digester or generater.

biogas generators need to be kept as a constant temp to keep the microorganisms respiring.

can be stored as a liquid, so has to be used straight away for heating cooking lighting or to power a turbine to generate electricity.

46
Q

what is biogas

A

mainly made up of methane- which can be burned as fuel

47
Q

how do microorganisms produce biogas?

A

they decay plant and animal waste anaerobically (without oxygen)- this produces methane gas.

can be made on a bigger scale from sewage works or sugar factories

48
Q

what are the two different biogas generators??

A

batch- small batch, manually loaded with waste, left to digest.
continuous- all the time at steady rate

49
Q

what is biodiversity

A

the variety of different species of organisms on earth, or within an eco system

50
Q

why is high biodiversity good

A

makes sure ecosystems are stable; different species depend on each other for things like shelter and food, and physical things such as acidity of the soil

51
Q

what things reduce biodiversity

A

waste production, deforestation and global warming

52
Q

why has human population increased so much recently

A

modern medicine and farming methods have been introduced

53
Q

what are the increasing demands on the environment

A

demanding higher standard of living- cars computers etc

so use more oil and raw materials

and use more energy to make the products

so…
materials are being used up faster than they’re being replaced - we’re going to run out!

54
Q

how does producing more waste damage the environment

A

when we produce more waste, more harmful pollution will be caused…

It reduces biodiversity and affects…

water- sewage and toxic chemicals can pollute lakes rivers and oceans, affecting the plants and animals that rely on them for survival. Chemicals used on land can be washed into the water.

land- using toxic chemicals for farming & burying nuclear waste underground & dumping household waste in landfill sites

air- smoke and acidic gases released into the atmosphere- pollute air, sulfur dioxide- can cause acid rain

55
Q

what happens in global warming

A
  • gases in the atmosphere- insulating layer
  • absorb most of energy that would normally be radiated out to space- re radiate it in all directions- this warms the earth
  • getting out of hand, greenhouse gases (CO2 and methane mainly) are rising sharply.
  • can cause other types of climate change eg. rainfall patterns
56
Q

What four things are worrying about global warming?

A
  1. seawater expands, ice melts- sea levels rise- flooding - loss of habitat
  2. rainfall patterns change- wild animal and plant species change- change in how wildly distributed they are
  3. changes in migration patterns in eg. birds
  4. biodiversity reduced- climate change leads to extinction of certain species
57
Q

how do humans use land

A
  • building, quarrying, farming, dumping waste
  • less land available for other organisms
  • deforestation or destruction of habitats like peat bogs and other areas of peat.
58
Q

what is deforestation and why is it done

A

cutting down of forests

  • to clear land for farming to provide more food
  • to grow crops form which biofuels based on ethanol can be produced
59
Q

what three major problems can global warming cause

A

less CO2 taken in- trees lock up some carbon during photosynthesis in their wood

more CO2 in atmosphere- released when trees are burnt to clear land, microorganisms feeding on dead wood- releases CO2 as a waste product of respiration

less biodiversity- when destroyed- habitats destroyed- more likely for species to become extinct.

60
Q

what are peat bogs?

A

bogs- areas of land that are acidic and waterlogged

plants that live in bogs don’t decay fully cos there isn’t enough oxygen.

partly rotted plants build up to form PEAT

so carbon is stored there from the plants

61
Q

how is carbon dioxide produced from peat?

A

peat is drained- contact with air- some microorganisms begin to decompose it; when they respire, release CO2

CO2 released when peat is burned

62
Q

what is peat used for?

A

drained so area is used for farmland

peat is cut up and used for fuel

sold to gardeners for compost

63
Q

what does destroying peat bogs reduce

A

biodiversity

64
Q

give some examples of programmes which have been set up to maintain biodiversity…

A

breeding programmes- animals are bred in captivity to make sure species survives if it dies out in the wild.

protection of rare habitats (mangroves, heathland, coral reefs)- helps preserve species that live there.

reintroduce hedgerows and field margins around fields on farms where only a single type of crop is grown- increases amount of wild flowers, grasses and provides habitat for wider range of organisms.

restrictions on deforestation and amount of business CO2.

people are encourages to recycle- reduces land fil- reduces loss of habitat.

65
Q

name some conflicting pressures over how biodiversity is maintained…

A

costs money- paying farmers to introduce hedgerows and keeping an eye on whether people are following programmes- money may be prioritised.

tree-felling industry unemployed

conflict between biodiversity protection and food secturity- eg. pests are killed to save crops

development- eg. building houses on land

66
Q

what are the different trophic levels

A

Level 1: Plants and algae make their own food and are called producers.
Level 2: Herbivores eat plants/algae and are called primary consumers.
Level 3: Carnivores that eat herbivores are called secondary consumers.
Level 4: Carnivores that eat other carnivores are called tertiary

67
Q

what are decomposers and what do they do

A

Decomposers break down dead plant and animal matter by secreting
enzymes into the environment. Small soluble food molecules then
diffuse into the microorganism.

68
Q

what are pyramids of biomass

A

Pyramids of biomass can be constructed to represent the relative
amount of biomass in each level of a food chain. Trophic level 1 is at the
bottom of the pyramid.

69
Q

how is biomass transferred in a food chain

A

producers such as green plants and algae use energy from the sun to carry out photosynthesis- this produces glucose

only 1% of energy that hits the producers is transferred for photosynthesis

some glucose is used to make biological molecules

biomass stores energy and only 10% of biomass is passed on to the next trophic level in a food chain

70
Q

why is biomass lost between the levels?

A

organisms don’t eat all the organisms they’re consuming - eg. bone, so not all biomass is transferred

not all biomass is absorbed, some is egested (released) in faeces.

some biomass that is taken in is converted in to other substances that are lost to waste - eg. organisms use lots of glucose in respiration to provide energy for movement and keeping warm rather than making more biomass…

…this produces lots of waste CO2 and water as by-products.
…urea is another waste substance, which is release in urine with water when the proteins in the biomass are broken down

71
Q

what’s the equation of efficiency of biomass transferred between trophic levels…?

A

efficiency= biomass transferred to next level divided by biomass available at previous level x 1000

72
Q

what is food security?

A

Food security is having enough food to feed a population

73
Q

name some biological factors that are having an effect on food security…?

A
  • the increasing birth rate has threatened food security in some countries
  • changing diets in developed countries means scarce food resources are transported around the world
  • new pests and pathogens that affect farming
  • environmental changes that affect food production, such as widespread famine occurring in some countries if rains fail
  • the cost of agricultural inputs
  • conflicts that have arisen in some parts of the world which affect the availability of water or food.
74
Q

how can the efficiency of food production be improved

A

by restricting energy transfer from food animals to the environment.

This can be done by limiting their movement and by controlling the temperature of their
surroundings.

Some animals are fed high protein foods to increase growth.

75
Q

what MUST happen concerning food security?

A

Sustainable methods must be found to feed all people on Earth.

76
Q

what’s happening to fish stocks in the oceans and why is it important to keep fish stock levels high?

A

they’re declining

It is important to maintain fish stocks at a level where breeding continues OR certain species may disappear altogether in some areas.

77
Q

What play important roles in conservation of fish stocks at a sustainable level?

A

Control of net size and the introduction of fishing quotas

78
Q

what is modern biotechnology and what can it do?

A

Modern biotechnology techniques enable large quantities of microorganisms to be cultured for food.

79
Q

what is mycoprotein and how is it made?

A

used to make high protein meat substitutes- “QUORN”

made from fungus, Fusarium, which is grown in aerobic conditions, feeding off glucose syrup

harvested and purified- producing mycoprotiein

80
Q

how can bacteria be modified to produce human insulin?

A

1- plasmid (loop of DNA) is removed from a bacterium
2- insulin gene is cut out of human chromosome using a restriction enzyme- leaves DNA strand with unpaired base- ‘sticky end’
3- plasmid is cut open using the same restriction enzyme, leaving same sticky end together.
4- plasmid and human insulin gene are mixed together
5- ligase is added- this joins the sticky ends together to produce recombinant DNA
6- recombinant DNA is inserted into a bacterium
7- bacterium is grown inder controlled conditions in a vat.
8- insulin bacteria reproduce - can be harvested and purified to treat people with diabetes

81
Q

What could genetically modified crops do

A

resistant to pests- improving crop yields.

grow better in drought conditions.

more nutritional value - ‘Golden Rice’ lots of vitamin A.

82
Q

why doesn’t everyone agree with gm crops?

A
  • they say tackle poverty first.
  • countries may become dependent on countries selling GM crops.
  • poor soil- even gm crops won’t survive in the conditions.

BIOLOGY-EVIE (8 decks)

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