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Big Yerp > Unit 6 - Ecosystems > Flashcards

Unit 6 - Ecosystems Flashcards

1
Q

Ecosystem

A

All the interactions between the living and non-living components in a defined area

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2
Q

Biome

A

Large ecosystem

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3
Q

Open ecosystem

A

When living things can move between ecosystems

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4
Q

Closed ecosystems

A

When living things cannot easily move between ecosystems e.g. islands

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5
Q

Niche

A

Role of a particular species

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6
Q

Biotic

A

Involves other living organisms

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7
Q

Biotic factors affecting ecosystems

A 
Predators
Food supply (prey)
Disease 
Cooperation between species 
Competition between species
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8
Q

Abiotic factors affecting ecosystems

A

pH
Conc of pollutants
Temp (climatic)
Moisture/ rainfall/ relative humidity
Oxygen level
Soil type (edaphic)
Light intensities

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9
Q

How does low light intensity affect the ecosystem

A

Plants develop photosynthetic pigments that require less light
Grow larger leaves
Reproductive systems that only work in optimum light intensities

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10
Q

How does temp affect the ecosystem

A

Temp has the biggest effect on enzymes in the organisms that live in the ecosystem
May trigger migration/ hibernation
Dormancy/ leaf fall/ flowering in plants

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11
Q

How are ecosystems organised

A

In trophic levels

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12
Q

Producers in an ecosystem

A

Lowest trophic level

Involves autotrophs, chemotrophs and photoautotrophs

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13
Q

Autotrophs

A

Convert energy from environment into complex organic matter, then are used as respiratory substrates or for growth

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14
Q

Chemo/photoautotrophs

A

Use light/ chemicals to convert small inorganic molecules into complex organic ones

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15
Q

Consumers

A

Higher/est trophic levels
Feed on complex organic matter made by autotrophs and other organisms and use the products of digestion as respiratory substrates or for growth
1’<2’<3’

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16
Q

Decomposers

A

Feed on waste or dead organsims to gain energy by digesting and respiring organic matter
involved in recycling - returns inorganic ions to the air/soil

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17
Q

Why are ecosystems dynamic

A

Always changing due to many interlaced intearctions that any small change causes several others–> alters flow of biomass

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18
Q

Types of changes in ecosystems

A

Cyclical - repeated change e.g. seasons, day/night
Directional - in one direction e.g.global warming, erosion
Unpredictable/ erratic - no rhythm or constant direction e.g. volcanic eruption

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19
Q

Trophic level

A

a place in the food chain

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20
Q

Components of an ecosystem

A

Habitat
Population
Community

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21
Q

Habitat

A

Where an organism lives

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22
Q

Population

A

Where all the members of a species living in some place at a given time

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23
Q

Community

A

All the populations of diff species who live in some place at a given time, who can interact w/ each other

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24
Q

Why are there fewer consumers at higher levels

A

Energy (biomass) is lost at each trophic level so unavailable to organism at next trophic level, therefore there’s less energy available to sustain living organisms

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25
Q

How is biomass lost

A

Cellular respiration - conversion to inorganic molecules such as CO2 and H2O
Excretory materials
Indigestible matter
Not everything is fit for consumption e.g. bones
Transferred at metabolic heat (movement)

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26
Q

Loss of biomass in endotherms vs ectotherms

A

Ectotherms use less energy in maintaing body heat so there is more biomass availabe

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27
Q

Saprotrophs

A

Secrete extracellular enzymes onto dead/waste materials

Digest the materials into small molecules which are then absorbed and stored/respired

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28
Q

Why is the producer efficiency v. low

A

Approx 90% of light is reflected, unusable wavelength, transmitted through leaf or given off as heat during metabolic and photosynthetic reactions and so is wasted

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29
Q

Succession

A

change in the composition/structure of an ecological community.

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30
Q

Climax community

A

Final, stable community that exists after the process of succession has occurred
Usually woodland communities

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31
Q

Deflected succession

A

Happens when succession is stopped/interfered w/ e.g. grazing so a plagioclimax develops as the species are stuck in that one stage of succession

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32
Q

Pioneer species

A

Species that begin the process of succession, often colonising an area as the first living thing there

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33
Q

Primary succession

A

succession that occurs on land that is newly formed or exposed bare rock
no soil or organic material is present

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34
Q

Secondary succession

A

succession that occurs on areas of land where soil is present but contains no plant or animal species
such as after a forest fire

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35
Q

Why are sand dunes helpful in terms of succession

A

Shows us the stages of succession in order of occurrence whereas usually we only see the current stage

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36
Q

How does succession affect species diversity

A

Increases it however dominant species may outcompete the smaller species killing whole species off

37
Q

Weathering

A

Breakdown or decomposition of rock in situ

38
Q

How does weathering contribute to succession

A

Decomposition of rock increases soil depth/ changes soil composition
Favouring new species

39
Q

Equation for Net product

A

Net propduct = gross product - respiratory losses

40
Q

Calculating efficiency of energy transfer

A

efficiency of transfer = (biomass available after transfer / biomass available before transfer) x 100

41
Q

Plagioclimax

A

Sub-climax community when succession has been deflected via human activity

42
Q

Ways to deflect succession

A 
Mainly agriculture and human activity e.g. Grazing 
Burning 
Application of fetilisers 
Application to herbicide 
Exposure to excessive amounts of wind
43
Q

How does succession affect biomass

A

Increases it due to more organisms in the ecosystem

44
Q

Why should sub-climax communities be conserved

A

Higher species diversity than climaxx communities - still contain some sub-climax species and climax species
Results in conserving a much wider range of plants and animals that dont live in the climax community

45
Q

Pioneer species on sand dunes

A

Species that can tolerate salty water, lack of fresh water and instable sand e.g. sea rocket

46
Q

Pioneer species on bare rock

A

Algae and lichens as they don’t need to be anchored into the soil

47
Q

Increasing primary productivity

A 
Some crops are planted early 
Irrigating crops 
Drought resistant crops 
Using greenhouses 
Crop rotation 
Fertilisers (provides inorganic ions)
Pesticides/ pest resistant crops
48
Q

How does planting some crops early increase primary productivity

A

Provides a longer growing season to harvest more light

49
Q

How does irrigating crops increase primary productiviy

A

Water is readily available for the light dependent stage of photosynthesis even when rainfall is below average

50
Q

How does growing crops in a greenhouse increases primary productivity

A

Provides a warmer temp —> increases the rate of photosynthesis

51
Q

How does crop rotation increase primary productivity

A

Stops reduction in soil levels of inorganic ions such as K^+ or NO3^-

52
Q

Crop rotation

A

Growing a diff. crop in each field on a rotational cycle

53
Q

How does use of pesticides increase primary productibity

A

Prevents loss of biomass and lowering yield of plant

54
Q

Why do plants need NH4+

A

form of nitrogen intake which is needed by plants for production of amino acids, nucleic acid and chlorophyll

55
Q

Why do plants need NO3-

A

supplys nitrogen needed for synthesis of proteins and DNA

56
Q

Function of K+ in plants

A

Improves growth of leaves

57
Q

Function of PO4 3- in pants

A

Improves growth of roots

58
Q

Increasing secondary productivity

A 
Harvesting animals before adulthood
Selctive breeding 
Animals treated w/ antibiotics 
Zero grazing 
Keeping environmental temp constant - prevents energy loss through homeostasis
59
Q

How does harvesting animals before adulthood increase secondary productivity

A

Minimises loss of energy as younger animals invest a larger proportion of energy into their growth

60
Q

How does selective breeding increase secondary productivity

A

Produces improved animal breeds w/ faster growth, increased egg production and increased milk production

61
Q

how does zero grazing help improve secondary productivity

A

Bringing food directly to animals
minimises energy use in cellular repiration in order to move

62
Q

Processes in the carbon cycle

A 
Photosynthesis 
Respiration (animals and plants) 
Anaerobic respiration (dead organic matter and excreta)
Fossilisation
Combustion
Decomposition
Feeding
63
Q

Processes adding to atmospheric CO2

A

Respiration
Combustion

64
Q

Processes removing atmospheric CO2

A

Photosynthesis
Diffusion of CO2 into ocean
^forms carbonic acid

65
Q

Fossilisation

A

Organic matter is buried and copressed over millions of years forming gas, coal and oil

66
Q

Human interferences that affect the carbon cycle

A

Combustion
Population size (respiration and waste)
Deforestation

67
Q

Effects of human interferences w/ the carbon cycle

A

Global warming/green house effect
Ocean acidification from carbonic acid
Removing photosynthesisers from ocean due to increase acidity

68
Q

Processes in the nitrogen cycle

A

Nitrification
Denitrification
Nitrogen fixation by organic and non-living processes
Ammonification

69
Q

What is nitrogen fixing

A

Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into nitrogen containing compounds

70
Q

Nitrogen fixing

A

Carried out by denitrifying bacteria (Azobacter) and mtualistic bacteria (Rhizobium) in plant root nodules. Nitrogenase reduces N2 to NH3 to form amino acids
Atmospheric fixation
Haber process to make chemical fertilisers

71
Q

Atmospheric fixation

A

Converting nitrogen gas into nitrates by lightning. The energy from lightning breaks the N2 into atoms which combine w/ oxygen and dissolve in rain

72
Q

Ammonification

A

Converting nitrogen containg compounds (e.g. urea from urine) to NH3
Carried out by decomposers

73
Q

Nitrification

A

Conversion of ammonium ions to nitrites (by Nitrosomonas) and then into nitrates (by Nitrobacter) by nitrifying bacteria (chemoautotrophs)

74
Q

Assimilation

A

Nitrates in the soil are absorbed from the soil by plants and algae. Animals then eat plants and assimilate nitrogen compounds too

75
Q

Denitrification

A

Conversion of soil nitrates to atmospheric nitrogen. Carried out by denitrifying bacteria in anaerobic conditions (e.g. waterlogged soil) who use the nitrates as the final e- acceptor in respiration instead of O2

76
Q

Human activities affecting the nitrogen cycle

A

Use of fertiliser - neutrification, algae use up all the oxygen

77
Q

Processes removing atmospheric nitrogen

A

Nitrogen fixation by bacteria
Atmospheric fixation
Haber process

78
Q

Processes adding to atmospheric nitrogen

A

Denitrification

79
Q

Similarities in nitrogen and carbon cycles

A

Involves plants and animals
Involves anaerobic respiration (decomposers)
Both cycles involve atmospheric chemicals

80
Q

Differences in nitrogen and carbon cycles

A

Involves sea in cc
No fixation of CO2
Only uses organic processes in cc
N is fixed by bacteria vs on plants

81
Q

Use of transects

A

Look for changes in vegetation across a habitat

82
Q

Types of transects

A

Line

Belt

83
Q

Line transect

A

At reg. intervals

Note of which species are touching the tape

84
Q

Belt transect

A

At reg. intervals
Place a quadrat next to the line (interrupted belt transect) or move the quadrat along the line (continuous)
Used to sample succession

85
Q

Estimating pop. size

A

Mean number of a species in a quadrat/ faction of the total habitat area covered by a single quadrat

86
Q

Deciding how many samples to take

A

In a pilot study take random samples looking at species distribution
Plot quadrat number against cumulative frequency
When curve levels off use that number of quadrats

87
Q

Units to measure primary productivity on land

A

gm-2 yr-1

88
Q

Units to measure primaary productivity in water

A

gm-3 yr-1

89
Q

Decomposes in the nitrogen cycle

A

Pass urea to next stage

Big Yerp (42 decks)

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