Topic 7 - Ecology

Question 1

What is a habitat?

Answer 1

The place where an organism lives.

Question 2

What is a population?

Answer 2

All the organisms of one species living in a habitat.

Question 3

What is a community?

Answer 3

The populations of different species living in a habitat.

Question 4

What is abiotic factors?

Answer 4

Non living factors in the environment, temperature.

Question 5

What are biotic factors?

Answer 5

living factors of the environment, food.

Question 6

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 6

The interaction of a community of living organisms with non living parts of their environment.

Question 7

What do plants need to survive?

Answer 7

Light
Space
Water
Nutrients

Question 8

What do animals need to survive?

Answer 8

Space
Food
Water
Mates

Question 9

What is interdependance?

Answer 9

Each species depending on another species for food, shelter, pollination, seed dispersal.

Question 10

What are examples of abiotic factors?

Answer 10

Moisture levels
Light intensity
Temperature
Carbon dioxife level (plants)
Wind intensity and wind direction
Oxygen level (aquatic animals)
Soil pH

Question 11

How would light intensity affect plant populations?

Answer 11

If the light intensity decreased it would decrease the rate of photosynthesis which could effect plant growth and decrease population size.

Question 12

What are examples of biotic factors?

Answer 12

New predators
Competition- one species outcompeting another so numbers are too low to breed.
New pathogens
Availability of food

Question 13

How would mineral content effect plant populations?

Answer 13

A decrease in mineral content can cause nutrient deficiencies . This could effect plant growth and cause a decrease in population size.

Question 14

How are artic foxes structures adapted to survival?

Answer 14

They have white fur so they are camoflauged in the snow. Allows them to avoid predators and sneak up on prey.

Question 15

How are whales structures adapted to survival?

Answer 15

They have a thick layer of blubber and low surface area to volume ratio to help them retain heat.

Question 16

How are camels structured for survival?

Answer 16

They have a thin layer of fat and a large surface area to volume ratio to help them lose heat.

Question 17

How are swallows behaviours adapted to survival?

Answer 17

They migrate to warmer climates in winter to avoid living in cold conditions.

Question 18

How do desert animals functional for survival?

Answer 18

They conserve water by producing very little sweat and small amounts of concentrated urine.

Question 19

How do brown bears functions for survival?

Answer 19

They hibernate over winter. They lower their metabolism which conserves energy so they dont have to hunt when theres not much food around.

Question 20

What is an extremophile?

Answer 20

Microorganisms adapted to live in bery extreme conditions.

Question 21

How can you study the distribution of an organism?

Answer 21

Measuring how common an organism is in two sample areas using two quadrats and compare them.
How the distribution changes across an area by placing quadrats along a transect.

Question 22

How can you use quadrats to stufy the distribution of an organism?

Answer 22

Place a quadrat at a random point in the first sample area.
Count all the organisms within the quadrat.
Repeat steps one and two multiple times.
Work out them mean number of organisms per quadrat within the first sample area.
Then do them same in the second sample area and calculate a mean.
Finally compare the two means.

Question 23

How can you work out the population size of an organism in one area?

Answer 23

Work out the mean number of organisms per meter squared.

Then multiply the mean by the total area of the habitat.

Question 24

How can you use transectsto study the distribution of organisms?

Answer 24

Mark a line in the area you want to study using a tape measure.
Then collect data along the line.
You can do it by counting all the organism that your interested in that touch the line.
Or you can place quadrats along the line placed next to each other or along at intervals, for example every 2 metres.

Question 25

How can you get the percentage cover from a quadrat?

Answer 25

Count the number of squares the organism covers in the quadrat.
Make it into a percentage by calculating it.

Question 26

What is the water cycle?

Answer 26

Energy from the sun makes water evaporate from the land and sea turning it into water vapour. Water also evaporates through plants via transpiration.
The warm water vapour is carries upwards. As it gets higher it cools and condenses to form clouds.
Water falls from the clouds as precipitation onto land where it provides fresh water for plants and animals.
It then drains into the seas and the whole process starts again.

Question 27

What is the carbon cycle?

Answer 27

Carbon is removed from the atmosphere by green plants and algae for photosynthesis. It is used to make glucose which can bee turned into carbs, fats and proteins which make up the bodies of plants and algae.
When the plants respire some carbon is released back into the atmosphere.
When the plants are eaten by animals som carbon becomes part of the fats and proteins in their bodies. The carbon moves through the food chain.
When animals respire some carbon is let back into the atmosphere.
When plants and animals die microorganisms feed on their remains. The waste is broken down by the microorganisms.
Combustion of wood and fossil fuels release carbon back into the air.
Carbon is constantly being cycled from the air through food chains and eventually back into the air again.

Question 28

What is biodiversity?

Answer 28

The variety of different species of organisms on earth or within an ecosystem.

Question 29

Why is biodiversity important?

Answer 29

It helps keep ecosystems stable because different species depends on each other for living things like shelter and food.
Different species can also help maintain the right physical environment for each other.

Question 30

How does waste effect water?

Answer 30

Sewage and toxic chemicals from industry can pollute lakes, rivers and ocean, affecting the plants and animals that rely on them for survival.

Question 31

How does waste effect land?

Answer 31

We use toxic chemicals in farming.

Bury nuclear waste underground and we dump alot of household waste in landfill sites.

Question 32

How does waste effect air?

Answer 32

Smoke and acidic gases released into the atmosphere can pollute the air.

Question 33

What causes sea levels to rise?

Answer 33

Higher temperatures cause seawater to expand and ice to melt causing sea levels to rise.
If it keeps rising it will be bad for animals and people living in low lying places.
It will lead to flooding resulting in the loss of habitats.

Question 34

How does global warming effect species distribution?

Answer 34

Species distribution may change as temperatures increase and the amount of rainfall changes in different areas.
They may become more widely distributed as warmer conditions they thrive in exist over a wider area.
Other species may become less widely distributed as cooler conditions they thrive in exist over a smaller area.

Question 35

How does global warming effect migration patterns?

Answer 35

Some birds may migrate further north as more northern areas are getting warmer.

Question 36

How does global warming effect biodiversity?

Answer 36

It could be reduced if some species are unable to survive a change in the climate so it becomes extinct.

Question 37

How do peat bogs add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

Answer 37

Plants that live in bogs dont fully decay when they die as theres not enough oxygen. So the carbon in the plants is stored in the peat instead of being released into the atmosphere.
However they are often drained so the area can be used as farmland so the peat is cut up and dried to be used as fuel. It is given to gardeners as compost but it is being used faster than ts formed.
When a peat is drained it comes into contact with air and microorganisms start to decompose it.
When these micro organisms respire they release carbon dioxide and also when the peat is burned as fuel which contributes to global warming.
Destroying the bogs also destroys the habitats of animals, plants and organisms that live there so reduces biodiversity.

Question 38

What is deforestation?

Answer 38

The cutting down of forests.

Question 39

Why is deforestation done?

Answer 39

To clear land for farming to provide more food.

To grow crops from which biofuels can be produced.

Question 40

How does deforestation cause problems with carbon dioxide?

Answer 40

Cutting down loads of trees means the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the armosphere during photosynthesis is reduced.
Trees also lock up some of the carbon they absorb during photosynthesis in their wood which can remove it from the atmosphere for hundreds of years. Removing trees means less is locked up.

Question 41

How can deforestation lead to more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Answer 41

Carbon dioxide is released when trees are burnt to clear land.
Microorganisms feeding on dead wood release carbon dioxide as a waste product of respiration.

Question 42

How does deforestation lead to less biodiversity?

Answer 42

Habitats like forests can contain a huge number of different species of plants and animals so when they are destroyed there is a danger of many species becoming extinct meanig biodiversity is reduced.

Question 43

How do breeding programmes increase biodiversity?

Answer 43

They prevent endangered species from becoming extinct.
Where animals are bred in captivity to make sure the species survives if it dies out in the wild.
They can sometimes be released into the wild to boost or re establish a population.

Question 44

How does habitat protection boost biodiversity?

Answer 44

They are used to protect and regenerate rare habitats. This helps the species that live there - preserbing the ecosystem and biodiversity in the area.
Programmes such as reintroducing hedgerows and field margins where wild flowers are left to grow. This provides a habitat for a wider variety of organisms that could survive in a single crop habitat.

Question 45

What has been put in place to try and prevent global warming?

Answer 45

Governments have introduced regulations to reduce the level of deforestation and the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere by businesses.
This could reduce the increase of global warming.

Question 46

How can reducing waste protect ecosystems and biodiversity?

Answer 46

People are encouraged to recycle to reduce the amount of waste that gets put in landfill sites.
This could reduce the amount of land taken over for landfill leaving ecosystems in place.

Question 47

What are the conflicting pressures about biodiversity?

Answer 47

It costs money as farmers may have to be payed to reintroduce hedgerows and field margins onto their land. Also cost money to check if the regulations designed to maintain biodiversity are being followed.
It could effect the local economy as reducing deforestation could leave the people in the tree felling industry unemployed. This could effect the local economy if people move away to find work.
Also food security ad organisms can be seen as pests to farmers and are killed to protect crops and livestock so more food can be made. However foodchain and biodiversity are effected.
Development is important however as land is in high demand previously untouched land with high biodiversity is being used for development.