Unit 5: On the Wild side Flashcards
What is an ecosystem?
All organisms living in a particular area, known as a community, as well as all non-living elements of the particular environment.
What is a community?
All of the populations of all the organisms living in a particular habitat at a particular time.
Define population
All of the organisms of a particular species living in a particular habitat and a particular time.
Define habitat
A place where an organism lives
How can the distribution and abundance of a habitat be controlled?
- Biotic factors (living factors) like predators, food availability, parasites or disease.
- Abiotic factor (non-living factors) like light, oxygen, moisture levels or temperature.
What is ecological niche?
A species particular role in its habitat. It consists of its abiotic and biotic interactions with the environment. Species distribution and abundance will depend on the number and type of ecological niches available within a habitat.
What is the niche concept?
It states that only one organism can occupy each niche at one given time in a given habitat. If two or more species have a niche that overlaps, the best adapted will outcompete the others in surviving to reproduce.
What is succession?
It is the changes in species inhabiting over time. It is brought about by changes to the environment made by the organisms colonising it themselves.
What is primary succession?
Occurs when an area was completely deprived of life is first colonised by community of organisms, for example, after the eruption of a volcano- soil must first be established before more complex organisms can grow
What is secondary succession?
Occurs with existing soil that is clear of vegetation. This may occur after an event such as forest fires.
What are the abiotic factors that can make the population size vary?
Population size (abundance) can change due to the amount of light, water or space available, temperature of the surroundings or the chemical composition. When ideal for species, organisms can grow fast and reproduce successfully.
What is interspecific competition?
When different species compete for the same resources. For example, red and grey squirrels compete for the same food and habitat. Resources for both species is reduced (limited) Less energy for reproduction and growth.
What is intraspecific competition?
When the same species compete for the same resources. Population of a species increases when resources are plentiful. As soon as the population increases, there will be more organisms competing for the same amount of space and food. Then becomes limiting and population declines. Smaller population means less competition- population grows. Maximum stable population size of a species that an ecosystem can support (carrying capacity)
How are predator and prey population size linked?
Prey population size increases, more food for predators so population size grows. More prey is eaten so population begins to fall, less food for predators so population decreases.
How does distribution vary because of abiotic factors?
Some plants only grow in the northern hemisphere due to solar input (light intensity) is greatest. Some plants don’t grow near the shoreline due to it being to saline (salty). Large trees can’t grow in polar regions because the temp is too low.
How does distribution vary because of biotic factors?
Interspecific competition can affect the distribution as one of two species is better adapted to the environment and the less-well adapted will be out-competed.
How does every species occupy a different niche?
A niche is the role of a species within a habitat. Biotic interactions e.g. organisms eat/eaten by. Abiotic interactions e.g. the oxygen the organism breathes in. Niche is unique and only occupied by one species, it may look like two are filling the same niche but could be slightly different. Organisms can only exist in habitats where all the conditions that make up their role exist.
What is abundance?
The number of individuals of one species in a particular area and percentage cover can be used.
What is distribution?
Where a particular species is within the area you’re investigating.
What is random and non-random sampling?
Random is to avoid bias- divide the field into grids and use a random coordinate generator. Non-random - a lot of variety in the abiotic factors and/or distribution (systemic sampling- fixed intervals)
What are point quadrats and how could they be used to investigate plant population?
Horizontal bar with two legs and placed into the ground at random points. Pins are dropped into the holes in the frame and every plant the pin touches is recorded.
What are the different types of transects?
Line transect- tape measure placed along the transect and the species that touch the tape are recorded.
Belt transect- data is collected along the transect using frame quadrats placed next to each other.
Interrupted transects- take measurements are intervals
How can abundance and distribution be shown on a kite diagram?
Abundance of each organism is shown by the thickness of the kite shape. The abundance is plotted above and below a central line to make the shape symmetrical. The x-axis shows the distance along the transect line.
How can we measure different abiotic factors within a habitat?
Climate- temperature, rainfall, humidity, oxygen availability, solar input, Edaphic (soil) factors- pH and moisture content, topography- relief, slope angel, aspect (compass)