GCSE P2 ECOLOGY

Question 1

what is an abiotic factor?

Answer 1

non-living (e.g. light intensity, temperature)

Question 2

what is a biotic factor?

Answer 2

living (e.g. food availability, pathogens)

Question 3

what do animals compete for?

Answer 3

territory, a mate, food and water

Question 4

what do plants compete for?

Answer 4

light, space, water and carbon dioxide

Question 5

what is a community?

Answer 5

populations of different species living together

Question 6

what is an ecosystem?

Answer 6

interaction of different communities with abiotic and biotic factors in their environment

Question 7

what is interdependence?

Answer 7

communities depending on the environment and other communities to survive. if one is removed, all of the others are effected

Question 8

what is a habitat?

Answer 8

the place where organisms live

Question 9

what is population?

Answer 9

all the organisms of one species living in a habitat

Question 10

how do communities remain stable?

Answer 10

their population size remains constant

Question 11

what is a producer?

Answer 11

green plant/algae (makes glucose via photosynthesis)

Question 12

what is a predator?

Answer 12

an animal that eats prey

Question 13

what is prey?

Answer 13

an animal that is eaten by a predator

Question 14

what is a primary consumer?

Answer 14

eats producer

Question 15

what is a secondary consumer?

Answer 15

eats primary consumer

Question 16

in stable communities, what happens to the numbers of predator and prey?

Answer 16

constantly rises and falls

Question 17

how to make quadratic RP more accurate

Answer 17

use a random number generator for co-ordinates

use a bigger quadrat (more accurate)

Question 18

what do transect lines allow you to investigate?

Answer 18

distribution of an organism across a certain area

Question 19

what factor does transect lines investigate?

Answer 19

usually abiotic

Question 20

are transect lines random sampling?

Answer 20

no

Question 21

what is the atmospheric layer made up of?

Answer 21

CO2, water vapor and methane

Question 22

what are the conditions needed for decay?

Answer 22

warm temperature, O2 availability and H2O availability

Question 23

how do you calculate the rate of decay?

Answer 23

mass change/time period

Question 24

how is compost made and what is it used for?

Answer 24

gardeners take waste, create optimum conditions to create compost which is used as fertiliser

Question 25

biogas generators

Answer 25

manure anaerobically decays, producing methane gas which is used as a fuel

Question 26

what are the factors affecting food security?

Answer 26

increasing birth rate, changing diets, new pathogens and pests, conflict + war and climate change

Question 27

farming techniques used to improve efficiency of food production

Answer 27

animals keep close together (reduced respiration)
kept warm (reduces metabolism? + unwanted energy transfer)
animals given antibiotics (prevent pathogen spread)
fed high protein food (growth)