Topic 7C: Ecosystem

Question 1

What is a Habitat?

Answer 1

The place where an organism lives e.g. a rocky shore or a field

Question 2

What is Population?

Answer 2

All the organisms of one species in a given area at a given time

Question 3

What is community?

Answer 3

Populations of different species living in a given area and at given time

Question 4

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 4

A community, with all the non-living conditions in the area in which it lives.

Question 5

Define abiotic conditions?

Answer 5

The living features of the ecosystem eg temperature/ availability of water

Question 6

Define biotic conditions?

Answer 6

The living features of the ecosystem eg the presence of predators or food

Question 7

What is niche?

Answer 7

The role of species within its habitat.

Question 8

What is adaptation?

Answer 8

A feature that members of a species have that increases their chance of survival and reproduction

Question 9

What type interactions are involved in a niche?

Answer 9

Biotic interactions- organisms it eats, and those its eaten by
Abiotic interactions- the oxygen an organisms breathes in, the CO2 it breathes out

Question 10

Why might people think that two species have the same niche?

Answer 10

Because theyre either both eaten by the same species or eat the same species BUT there are slight differences like what part of the organism they eat.

Question 11

Does every species have their own unique niche?

Answer 11

yes

Question 12

What happens when two species try to occupy the same niches?

Answer 12

They start to compete with each other.

Question 13

Example of similar but different niches?

Answer 13

Common pipistrelle
-fly and catch insects at 45kHz
Soprano pipistrelle bat
-fly and catch insects at 55kHz

Question 14

Which organisms are adapted to abiotic conditions?

Answer 14

Otters
Seals
Hedgehogs hibernate

Question 15

How are Otters adapted to abiotic conditions?

Answer 15

• they have webbed paws
• means they can both walk on land and swim
• increases chance of survival because they can live and hunt on both land and water

Question 16

How are Seals adapted to abiotic conditions?

Answer 16

• thick layer of blubber

- keeps them warm

Question 17

How are Hedgehogs adapted to abiotic conditions that allows them to increase their chance of survival?

Answer 17

• they hibernate
• lowers their rate of metabolism
• conserves energy

Question 18

Which organisms are adapted to biotic conditions?

Answer 18

• Sea Otters
• Male Frogs
• Bacteria/antibiotics

Question 19

How are Sea ottters adapted to abiotic conditions?

Answer 19

• use rocks to smash open shellfish

- another source of food source

Question 20

How are Male frogs adapted to abiotic conditions?

Answer 20

• mating calls attract females

- increases successful mating

Question 21

How are bacteria and antibiotics adapted to abiotic conditions?

Answer 21

• kill other species of bacteria in the same area

- less competition

Question 22

What is a population size?

Answer 22

The total number of organisms of ones species in a habitat

Question 23

What is a carrying capacity?

Answer 23

The maximal stable population size of species that an ecosystem can support

Question 24

How does carrying capacity vary?

Answer 24

due different abiotic and biotic factors

Question 25

What factors are abiotic?

Answer 25

temperature space availability water light

Question 26

What happens when there is ideal abiotic factors?

Answer 26

Organisms grow fast and reproduces successfully

Question 27

What are the factors that are affected by biotic conditions ?

Answer 27

IntRAspecific Competition IntERspecific Competition Predation

Question 28

What is intraspecific competition?

Answer 28

Competition within a species

Question 29

What is interspecific?

Answer 29

Competition between different species

Question 30

What is predation?

Answer 30

When prey and predator population are linked.

Question 31

What is succession?

Answer 31

When the ecosystem changes over time

Question 32

What does it mean when yousay the ecosystem is dynamic?

Answer 32

It means it is constantly changing

Question 33

What are the two types of succession?

Answer 33

Primary succession | Secondary succession

Question 34

What is primary succession?

Answer 34

- When there is land that has been newly formed or exposed - no soil - no organic material

Question 35

Give an example of primary succession?

Answer 35

- Where a volcano has erupted to form new rock surface | - when the sea level has dropped exposing new area of land.

Question 36

What is secondary succession?

Answer 36

- When the land has been cleared of all plants | - but soil remains

Question 37

Give an example of secondary succession?

Answer 37

- after a forest fire | - deforestation

Question 38

Outline the stages of primary succession/secondary succession

Answer 38

- pioneer species start colonising new land surface - pioneer species survive harsh hostile abiotic conditions - they grow and adapt - they change the abiotic conditions - they die and decompose from microorganisms - this provides organic material basic soil - makes it less hostile - new species start to move and grow - increase biodiversity - they grow and change the environment to become less hostile - eventually leads to climax community

Question 39

What have as succession goes on?

Answer 39

- ecosystems become more complex and diverse | - biodiversity increases

Question 40

What is the final stage of succession?

Answer 40

Climax community- an ecosystem supporting the largest and most complex community of plants and animals it can. It is at a steady state

Question 41

What is climax community?

Answer 41

No further succession occurring

Question 42

Primary succession can start on....

Answer 42

- bare rock - sand dunes - salt marshes - lakes

Question 43

Name a pioneer species?

Answer 43

- marram grass | - because it has deep roots to get water and tolerate salty conditions

Question 44

Example of primary succession from bare rock to woodland

Answer 44

- pioneer species colonise rocks (eg lichens) - lichens do this by breaking down rocks and releasing energy - lichens die and decompose forming thin soil - other species like mosses can grow now - As soil deepen larger plants that need more water start to move - the environmental conditions start to change - shrubs/fern and small trees become to grow and compete - DIVERSITY increases - Dominant species lead to climax community

Question 45

Different ecosystems have different....

Answer 45

Climax communities

Question 46

What is the climax community in temperature climate?

Answer 46

- plenty of water - mild temperatures - not much change between seasons - contains large trees - because deep soil has developed

Question 47

What is the climax community in polar climate?

Answer 47

- not much water - temp low - massive changes between seasons - no large trees

Question 48

What is conservation?

Answer 48

The protection and management of succession

Question 49

What is plagioclimax?

Answer 49

When human activities prevent succession and artificially stops climax community from developing.

Question 50

Why do people sometimes stop succession

Answer 50

Because they want to preserve the current ecosystem

Question 51

Ways of managing succession?

Answer 51

- Managed fires | - animal grazing

Question 52

What are the different methods of conservation?

Answer 52

- some focus on the conserving a particular species | - some focus on conserving a particular habitat

Question 53

Provide examples of conservation techniques?

Answer 53

- plant conserved in seed-banks - fishing quotas - protected areas eg national parks - captivity for endangered species