UNIT 1: A study of an ecosystem

Question 1

Physical properties of a hedgerow ecosystem

Answer 1

• acts as a boundary to the field
• it is a large hedgerow
• provides good protection from the weather
• it can be classed as a very small woodland area

Question 2

general presence of life in a hedgerow:

Answer 2

flora: many trees and shrubs, plants and grasses
fauna: herbivores, birds and predators.

Question 3

examples of flora

Answer 3

blackberry bramble 
blackthorn
hawthorn
holly
hazel

Question 4

examples of fauna

Answer 4

beetles
butterflies
snails
ladybirds
hare

Question 5

examples of habitats in a hedgerow

Answer 5

soil
leaf litter
shrub level
canopy level

Question 6

examples of apparatus required

Answer 6

pooter
pitfall trap
nets 
beating tray 
direct search

Question 7

pitfall trap

Answer 7

involves simple can or plastic up embedded in the ground and covered to prevent water entering
bait is sometimes used

Question 8

beating tray

Answer 8

hold under tree or bush
shake the tree or bush
insects fall onto tray and can be identified

Question 9

pooter

Answer 9

device ecologists use to pick up small objects, like insects.
like a miniature vacuum with your lungs working as the engine

Question 10

sweep nets

Answer 10

have a lightweight aluminium frame
the net bags usually have curved tips to prevent insects escaping
sweep nets usually have five sided frames designed to give a better sampling sweep than circular frames

Question 11

qualitative survey

Answer 11

record of presence / absence of organisms

Question 12

quantitative survey

Answer 12

Records the number of organisms that are present

Question 13

limitations of quadrat

Answer 13

• animals can move fast and not remain in the quadrat

- limited by species size e.g. trees and large animals

Question 14

how the percentage cover is estimated

Answer 14

An estimate of the amount of ground in a quadratic covered by each species.

Question 15

sources of error when studying an ecosystem

Answer 15

• human error - especially when estimating frequencies.
• changing conditions - seasonal variations.
• accidental discovery - by a walker instead of an ecologist.
• sample size - more samples, better accuracy

Question 16

measuring the effects of abiotic factors

Answer 16

pH
temperature
light intensity
water current
air current
slope

Question 17

Adaptation

Answer 17

Any alteration that improves the organisms changes of survival and reproduction

Question 18

Key

Answer 18

A means of naming organisms by answering a series of questions with alternative answers

Question 19

Frequency

Answer 19

The chance of finding a named species with any one throw of a quadratic