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Biology N5 > Unit 3 > Flashcards

Unit 3 Flashcards

1
Q

Biotic factors

A

Living factors:
Disease
Predation
Grazing

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2
Q

Abiotic factors

A

Non-living:
Temperature
Rainfall
pH

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3
Q

Human influences

A

Air pollution
Habitat destruction
Overfishing
Desertification

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4
Q

Habitat

A

The place where an organism lives

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5
Q

Population

A

A group of organisms of the same species

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6
Q

Species

A

A group of organisms which can interbreed to produce fertile offspring

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7
Q

Biodiversity

A

The total variety of living things in an area

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8
Q

Community

A

All the populations living in the ecosystem

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9
Q

Ecosystem

A

The balance of community (living) plus habitat (non-living)

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10
Q

Producer

A

A green plant which makes its own food by photosynthesis

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11
Q

Consumer

A

An organism which needs to eat other organisms to gain energy

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12
Q

Herbivore

A

An animal which only eats plants

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13
Q

Carnivore

A

An animal which only eats other animals

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14
Q

Omnivore

A

An animal which wats both plants and animals

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15
Q

Predator

A

An animal which hunts other animals

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16
Q

Prey

A

An animal which is hunted by other animals

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17
Q

Niche

A

The role an organism plays in the community

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18
Q

When does competition occur?

A

Between organisms when resource are in short supply

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19
Q

Interspecific

A

Competition between members of different species for similar resources

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20
Q

Intraspecific

A

Competition between members of the same species for the exact same resources

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21
Q

Decomposer

A

Breaks down organic material (e.g. dead bodies and waste)

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22
Q

Food chain

A

The arrows show the direction of energy flow

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23
Q

What do animals compete with one another for if in short supply?

A

Food
Water
Shelter

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24
Q

Which type of competition is more intense?

A

Intraspecific as organisms are competing for the exact same resources

25
What do plants growing in the same habitat compete for if in short supply?
Light Water Soil nutrients
26
Interdependent
A delicate balance between predator and prey
27
Indicator species
Organisms that by their presence or absence give information about environmental quality and pollution levels
28
Water pollution
-Polluted by untreated sewage being allowed to enter rivers and streams -Lots of organic waste ->lots of bacteria (decomposers) ->low oxygen levels (bacteria takes it in to respire)
29
Abundance
Number of that type of organism
30
Quadrats
Sample plants in fields Count the number of squares containing your plant and then factor up for the total area of the field -More than 1 quadrat thrown (reliable) -Thrown randomly (valid) (unbiased) -Spread across the field (representitive) -Stick to rules (if a plant is half in and half out)
31
Pitfall trap
Sample small ground insects on the ground soil -Multiple traps (reliable) -Traps set up across the area (representative) -Birds may eat trapped animals ->camouflage with leaves -Some animals may eat other animals ->check traps regularly
32
Line transect
Measures the distribution of organisms from one point to another e.g. high shore to low shore Quadrats placd at regular intervals along it and abiotic factors are measured Relationships can be found between abiotic factors and distribution of organisms
33
Light intensity
Light meter Shadows->stand without your shadow covering it Light changes->carry out same time of day
34
Soil moisture
Moisture meter Unclean probe->clean probe (cloth) Different depths->same depth Same position
35
What happens to energy at each level of a food chain
-90% of energy is ‘lost’ as heat, movement or indigestible materials -10% of energy is used for growth and is passed on to the next level
36
Pyramid of energy
Always a pyramid Shows the energy passed on from one stage in a food chain to the next
37
Pyramid of numbers
Shows the number of organisms at each stage of a food chain
38
Irregular pyramids of numbers
1-when a tree/bush is the producer 2-when parasites feed off of the top predator
39
What requires an increased food yield
Increasing human polulation
40
Fertilisers
-Provide plants with chemicals such as nitrates to increase crop yield
41
How do nitrates work in fertilisers?
-Nitrates dissolve in soil water and are dissolved into plants -The plants use the nitrates to produce amino acids which are synthesised into plant protein -Animals consume plants/animals to obtain amino acids for protein synthesis
42
Algal blooms
-Fertilisers leach into fresh water, adding extra, unwanted nutrients —>increases algal populations —>algal blooms —>reduce light availability for aquatic plants->death —>dead plants and dead algae become food for bacteria —>bacteria grows in number —>bacteria use up large quantities of oxygen —>reduces oxygen availability for other organisms —>reduced biodiversity in water
43
Alternatives to fertilisers
Genetically modified crops
44
Pesticides
Used to kill plants and animals that reduce crop growth
45
Biosccumulation
Pesticides sprayed on crops can accumulate in the bodies of organisms over time As they are passed along food chain, toxicity increases and can reach lethal levels
46
Alternatives to pesticides
GM crops Biological control
47
Biological control
The deliberate introduction of a predator to a parasite or pest
48
Advantages of biological control
-No chemicals added to food chains -Introduced predator is specific to pest -Much cheaper after initial set-up costs
49
Disadvantages of biological control
-Introduced species can sometimes become a pest -Doesn’t guarantee that all pests will be killed -Introduced predator can leave the environment
50
Mutation
A random change to the genetic material Occur spontaneously Only source of new alleles in a population
51
Environmental factors that can increase the rate of mutation?
Mutagenic agents Chemicals e.g. mustard gas Radiation e.g. x-rays, gamma radiation
52
Adaptation
An inherited characteristic that makes an organism well suited to survival in its niche in its environment
53
Desert plant adaptations
Surface area (leaves are spines to reduce water loss Very deep roots (access deep underground water) Thick waxy cuticle (reduce water loss and store water in flesh)
54
Speciation
The formation of different species from a common ancestor
55
Natural selection
-species produce more offspring than the environment can sustain -Selection pressures e.g. lack of food, predation -Those best adapted are more likely to survive and reproduce -> pass on favourable alleles to offspring -Advantageous alleles will increase in frequency in a population
56
Steps of speciation
-Part of a population becomes isolated by an isolation barrier -Different mutations occur at random in each sub-population -Natural selection selects for different mutations in each group due to different selection pressures -Each sub-population evolves separately until they become so genetically different that they are two distinct species -If the two new populations are allowed to interbreed and cannot produce fertile offspring then they are now different species
57
Types of isolation barriers
Geographical- mountain, earthquake Ecological- pH, salinity Behavioural- becoming fertile at different times
58
Stages of speciation
-Isolation -Mutation -Natural selection -Speciation
59
Types of pesticides
Fungicides - used to kill fungi Insecticides - kill insects Bactericides - bacteria Herbicides - weeds

Biology N5 (3 decks)

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