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ECOLOGY CGP Flashcards

1
Q

what do plants compete for x4
what do animals compete for x4

why do they compete for these things

A

plants- light, space, water,mineral ions (from soil)

animals- space, food, water, mates

to survive and reproduce

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2
Q

define-
ecosystem
abiotic/ biotic factors
population
community

A

ecosystem- the interaction of a community of living organisms with non living parts of their environment

abiotic- non living factors of the environment eg temp

biotic- living factors of the environment- eg food

population-all the organisms of one species living in a habitat

community- populations of different species living in a habitat

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3
Q

what is interdependance and what happens if a species is removed

what is a stable community

example of stable community

A

each species depends on others for food, shelter, pollination, seed dispersal. if one species removed it affects whole community

where all species and environmental factors balanced so population sizes remain fairly constant

tropical rainforest

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4
Q

7 examples of abiotic factors- non living

what is the effect of a change in abiotic factors

why might light intensity vary within an ecosystem

A

light intensity
temperature
moisture level
soil PH and mineral content
wind intensity + direction
carbon dioxide level FOR PLANTS
oxygen levels FOR AQUATIC ANIMALS

an increase/ decrease would affect the size of a population in a community and therefore also affect the size of other populations that rely on that population due to interdependance

due to shading eg tree cover.

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5
Q

4 examples of biotic factors

A

food availability
new predators
new pathogens
competition- one species outcompete another so the numbers aren’t sufficient to breed

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6
Q

3 genres of adaptations

what is an adaptation

A

structural, functional, behavioural

feature that helps animals survive in their environment

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7
Q

describe behavioural, structural, functional adaptations

what is an extremophile

3 types of extreme environments
example of an extremophile

A

structural- features of organisms body structure that allow organism to live in environment - shape/colour

(eg camouflage , thick blubber to to stay warm, large sa to vol ratio to lose heat.)

behavioural- eg migrate in winter to warmer climates.

functional- things happening inside body related to processes like reproduction and metabolism.

( eg produce little, concentrated urine in desert/ hibernate in winter and lower metabolism to conserve energy)

-organisms adapted to live in extreme conditions

  • high pressure
    -high temp
    -high salt concentration

-bacteria in deep sea vents are extremophiles

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8
Q

name first 4 things in a food chain.

what does the first thing do

2 examples

why are photosynthetic organisms important

A

producers,primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer

producers synthesise molecules- produce their own food from sun energy

green plants
algae

they are producers of biomass for life on earth.

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9
Q

what is biomass

A

mass of living material in an organism/ group of organisms

energy stored in a plant

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10
Q

in a stable community of prey and predators….
2 points

A

population of species limited by amount of food

numbers of predators and prey rise + fall in cycles

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11
Q

describe what would happen to population numbers if a new predator was introduced to a pool full of its prey
5 points

A

-population of prey decrease as they are eaten.
-population of predator decrease as they have less to eat
- population of prey increases -there are less predators
- population of predator increases as they have more to eat.
this continues in a cycle

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12
Q

what are the two methods to study the distribution of an organism

A
  • measure how common an organism is in 2 sample areas + compare
  • place quadrants along a transect + study how distribution changes across area
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13
Q

describe rp for estimated population size- 3
what is the equation-

describe rp for studying effect of light intensity on distribution of organisms
5 points.

A

-place quadrant at random point in first sample area ( use random number picker for coordinates)
- count all organisms within quadrant
- repeat steps till recorded for 10 quadrants
-work out estimated population size:
( total area/ area sampled ) x number of organisms counted

-mark out line in the area u want to study (eg tree to open ground) with tape measure.
-put quadrants along transect line in intervals One quadrant should touch 0 mark
-count number of plants inside quadrants
- record light intensity using light meter- could use app
-record and compare results

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14
Q

what are the three environmental factors that affect distribution of organisms when changed
give an example of each

environmental changes can be caused by…
x3

why do organisms change where they live

A

-temp- distribution of birds change due to rise in temp- animals suited to hot climate not found in arctic
-water availability- distribution of animals changes between wet/ dry seasons- based on rainfall patterns
in desert-find cactus-adapted to low water availability
-atmospheric gas composition- some species can’t grow in areas with high pollution eg lichen is sensitive to sulfur dioxide- due to industrial processes
humans also affect lvl of gas in water-sewage in streams=drop in lvl of dissolved o2
seasonal factors, geographic factors, human interaction

  • rely on a/biotic factors. when these change it affects where organism lives.
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15
Q

describe the recycling / water cycle 4 points

state 4 main processes in order

A

-sun energy evaporates water from land + sea to vapour. water from plants evaporates- transpiration

  • water vapour rises Cools + condenses to clouds (because warm air rises)

-water falls by precipitation onto land- provides fresh water for life

  • water then drains into sea. Cycle repeats
  • evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation
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16
Q

describe the carbon cycle briefly
6 points

A

-green plants+ algae (P+A) remove CO2 from atmosphere- photosynthesis
-Carbon dioxide combine w/ water= glucose - then into carbs, fats, protiens. these make up cells of P+A/ plant body
-some CO2 returned to atmosphere when P+A respire
-animals eat P+A , Carbon becomes part of carbs/ fat /protien in animals body-nmoves through food chain
-some CO2 returned to atmosphere when animal respire
-P+A +Animal dies. microorganims feed, respire, release CO 2
(Animal faeces also contain carbon)

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17
Q

describe the carbon cycle 7 points

what feeds on dead organisms-

how carbon removed from atmosphere x1
how carbon added to atmosphere- x2

A

-green plants+ algae (P+A) remove CO2 from atmosphere- photosynthesis
-In plant, Carbon makes glucose - then into carbs, fats, protiens. these make up plant body
-some CO2 return to atmosphere when P+A respire
-animals eat P+A ,some Carbon becomes part of fat and protien in animals body- carbon moves through food chain
-some CO2 return to atmosphere when animal respire
-P+A +Animal dies. microorganims feed on body and faeces- respire, release CO 2
- wood + fossil fuel combustion release CO2

  • detritus feeders + microorganisms
  • removed-
    photosynthesis

added
respiration of plants, animals, microorganisms

combustion of products made from plants/animals + fossil fuels

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18
Q

a plant is made from materials taken from world around them. describe how materials are given back to the soil
x3

what conditions speed up decay-x3 and why

give two examples of what microorganisms cycle back into ecosystem

A

-the materials a plant is made from gets passed up the food chain .
-the materials returned to environment in waste products/ when organism dies+ decays
- in decay, materials broken down and put back into soil eg mineral ions

  • warm, moist, aerobic (oxygen rich)
    microorganisms more active in these conditions.

-carbon - from respiration
-mineral ions to soil from decay

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19
Q

what is compost
what is it used for
what do farmers do to make compost

A

decomposed organic matter
used as a natural fertiliser
try to provide optimum conditions for quick decay to make compost

20
Q

what is rate of decay affected by x3

explain effects of warm, too hot and cold temps on decay
how does water effect rate of decay- explain
why does decay need oxygen (apart from anaerobic decay) and why does more oxygen help decay

example of a place with high decay

A

temp-
water
oxygen availability
(number of decay organisms)

warm- quicker decomposing because decomposition enzymes work faster.
Too hot- decomposition slows/ stops - enzymes destroyed + organisms die
really cold- slows rate of decomposition

moist environments increases rate - microorganisms need water for biological processes.

microorganisms need O2 to respire and to grow + multiply
the more microorganisms , the faster decomposition happens

rainforests- hot and wet

21
Q

-what is produced from anaerobic decay and what is this used for
-how is biogas made
-what is bio gas made in
-what does biogas mainly consist of
- how is biogas stored explain your answer
-what can biogass be used for- give an example
-give an example of making biogas on a large scale

important things to remember about biogas generator

A

-methane gas burnt as fuel
- biogas made by anaerobic decay of waste material
- generator/ digester
- methane gas
- can’t be stored, must be used straight away. can’t be stored as liquid ( as it needs too high a pressure)

  • used for:
    heating, cooking, lighting, as energy eg to power a turbine

-sludge waste from sewage used to make biogas on large scale

-must hav no/ little O2
must have constant temp to keep microorganisms respiring away

22
Q

what are the 2 types of biogas generators

——- generators make biogas in small —— . they are ……. loaded with waste which is left to ……. It has an ……. pipe for …….. and 2 ……. pipes . 1 is for….. and the other is for ……..

………. generators make biogas ……… Waste is …… fed in and biogass is produced at a …….. rate. These are suited to …… biogass projects

both generators need x3

what is the digested material used for

A

batch/ continuous

batch
batches
manually loaded
decay/digest
inlet pipe
waste material
2 outlet pipes
biogas
digested material

continuous
continuously
continuously
steady
large

-inlet for waste material
-outlet for digested material
-outlet so biogas can be piped where it needs to

digested material used as fertiliser

23
Q

describe method for investigating temperature on rate of decay of full fat milk/ cream- (pink)
9 steps

what formula is used to calculate rate of decay-
what is the unit-

A

add 5cm3 lipase to boiling tube. Label it L

add 5 cm3 milk to another tube. Label M

add 5 drops phenolphthalein indicator to M tube

add 7cm3 sodium carbonate solution to M tube- makes solution alkaline, so will turn pink

add both tubes to water bath at certain temp. put thermometer in
M tube

when reached right temp add 1 cm3 lipase to M tube. Start stopwath

stir M tube,

stop timing when milk loses pinkness. Record how long it took

repeat 3 times at different temps. Calculate mean time for each temp

  • 1000/ time
  • S-1
24
Q

in rp on decay of full fat milk/ cream, why does milk/ cream turn acidic

what is the optimum for lipase enzyme

what is added to turn milk alkaline

what ph scale does phenolphthalein stay pink

what do u use to stir the milk in the tube

A

because lipase enzyme produces fatty acids- they make it acidic

  • 35-45
  • sodium carbonate solution
  • 8.4 and above
  • glass rod
25
Q

define biodiversity

why is high biodiversity important x2

issues with maintaining biodiversity x2

A

variety of all the different species of organisms on earth or within an ecosystem

ensures stable ecosystems by reducing how dependant one species is on another for food , shelter, and maintainence of physical environment

our future relies on maintaining high biodiversity

measures to help are very recent,
human activities are reducing it

26
Q

why are we using more recources
x2

why is more waste produced. why is this dangerous

what are the effects of pollution from the waste we produce

A

growth in population + increased living standards
-use more raw materials and more energy for manufacturing process.

as more is produced, more is wasted including waste chemicals.
if waste inappropriately handled, more pollution caused.

  • decrease biodiversity (kills organisms
27
Q

3 places pollution can occur in and from what

how do these things cause pollution/ give an example

A

water- sewage, fertiliser, toxic chemicals
land-landfill, toxic chemicals
air-smoke, acidic gases

water-
sewage + toxic chemicals pollute water sources + harm P+A that rely on it .
chemicals like fertilisers washed into water

land-
toxic chemicals used in farming
nuclear waste buried + household waste dumped in landfill

air-
eg sulfur dioxide causes acid rain

28
Q

what do gases like methane + CO2 in atmosphere do
what is global warming
what has global warming resulted in x 4 and what this causes/ why

A
  • act like insulating layer- absorb energy that earth radiates. re radiates back in all directions- increases earths temp

-gradual increase of earths temp due to increased greenhouse gases

-sea levels rising- loss of habitat + floods
- species distribution changes- due to change in temp+rainfall. Conditions they thrive are common, spread out. Not common, species less distributed
- migration patterns changes- based on temp
-reduced biodiversity- some species cannot survive change in climate- go extinct

29
Q

Scientific consensus about global warming and climate change is based on…

A

systematic review of thousands of peer reviewed publications

30
Q

-how do we reduce the land available for animals x4

-what 3 things do we do to peats
- how do some of these things cause pollution
- how does destroying peats reduce biodiversity

A

building, quarrying, farming, dumping

  • drained for farmland
    -burned as a fuel
    -sold as compost (cheap and available)

-carbon from partly rotted plants stored in peat.
-draining peat- comes into contact w/ air- microorganisms start decomposing it
- microorganisms respire- release CO2
- CO2 released when peat burned

  • reduces habitat of animals that live there, so reduces biodiversity
31
Q

deforestation occurs to… x2
3 problems caused

A

clear land for farming (cattle and rice cops)
grow crops for biofuels

-less CO2 absorbed-
trees remove it during photosynthesis. less trees, less CO2 ‘ locked up’
-More CO2 in atmosphere-
CO2 released from trees when burnt & microorganisms feed on dead wood, respire
-Less biodiversity
habitats with large biodiversity destroyed- species can be extinct

32
Q

why maintain high biodiversity
what’s put into place to minimise negative human effects x5

A

-for a stable ecosystem
-programmes to protect ecosystems + biodiversity
* breeding programmes in captivity for endangered species
-maybe released into wild to boost population
* protection and regeneration of rare habitats
- preserve ecosystem + biodiversity
* field margins and hedgerows in agricultural areas where farmers grow only one crop type
-areas where wild plants grow- habitat for more variety of organisms than in single crop habitat
* governments business regulations reduce deforestation / carbon dioxide emissions -less global warming- more biodiversity
* recycling resources not dumping waste in landfill. more land for ecosystems

33
Q

pressures on maintaining biodiversity below. explain or give examples
cost
effect on local economy
food security
societies development

A

=cost- saving money prioritised over biodiversity
govrmt pay farmer to add hedgerows ect
+ pay to watch biodiversity programmes r being followed
=economy- ppl work in industry eg tree felling.
less deforestation = unemployment. economy affected if ppl move 2 find work
=food security- farmer kill ‘pests’ - protecting crops and cattle so more food is produced. Biodiversity + food chain affected
=societies development-
land needed eg housing. High biodiverse areas used

34
Q

what are the 4 trophic levels
what is an apex predator
what do decomposers do 3 steps

A

producers- plant and algae- make their own food
primary consumers-herbivores- eat plants/ algae
secondary consumers-carnivores-eat herbivores
tertiary consumers- carnivores- eat other carnivores
-carnivores with no predators
-decompose dead matter to get energy.
secrete enzymes that break matter into small soluble food molecules. these then diffuse into microorganism.

35
Q

-examples of decomposers
-why are there usually 4/5 trophic levels
-what else does the process of decomposing release

A

bacteria, fungi
a lot of energy lost (from food chain) at each level
nutrients which producers need to grow

36
Q

-what is biomass and how does it change up a trophic level
-give an example
-in a Pyramid of Biomass what does each bar represent
-*remember that if told to draw one, make a scale eg 5 small grid square= 1 kg.

A

mass of living material- decreases up levels
100 rabbits feed one fox
relative amount of biomass at each trophic level

37
Q

-how much of the energy that producers get from sun is used in photosynthesis
-what is a plants biomass made up of
-what does biomass store
-how much biomass is transferred to the next level

A

1%
-biological molecules made of glucose
-energy
-10%

38
Q

3 reasons why biomass is lost between levels
- describe a way biomass is lost in respiration and in urea x2

A

not all the ingested material is absorbed -some is egested as faeces

-dont eat every part of prey eg bones are inedible
(not all biomass passed to next stage in food chain)

-some biomass absorbed is converted into other substances and lost as waste.

respiration- large amounts of glucose (from biomass) used to provide energy instead of making more biomass.Carbon dioxide and water- by products
-In urine, urea and water are wasted when proteins in biomass broken down.

39
Q

equation for efficiency of biomass transfer-

A

(biomass transferred to next level /biomass available at previous level ) x100
Tree- 43kg fly- 4.2 kg
4.2/43 x100

40
Q

-what is food security
-5 biological factors that threaten food security
-what do we need to be able to have food security worldwide

A

having enough to feed a population
* increasing birth rate in developing countries
* changing diets in developed countries- scarce food resources transported around world- scarce food resources become more scarce
* new pests and pathogens/ environmental changes affect farming-lead to famine
* Farming has high input costs-not enough ppl farming in poor countries
* conflicts affect the availability of water or food

sustainable farming methods

41
Q

-how do we tackle overfishing x2 and explain each
-how can food production(animals) be made more efficient x3
-how do these methods help x2

A

-fishing quotas
limit no. of fish + size caught- stops overfishing + extiction of species
-netsize
bigger mesh lets unwanted/ young fish escape
-young fish can reach breeding age

-limit movement-
-control temp of surroundings at optimum-
-fed high protein food-

-less energy transferred to environment. more energy for growth- more food from same input of recources
-high protien foods- increase growth

42
Q

-how is movement of livestock limited
-why are these farming methods controversial x2
-other modern farming techniques that increase efficiency x4 -pros and cons

A

factory farmed- small pens- eg ‘battery chickens’’
fish in cages
-animals close- disease easily spread
-animals forced in unnatural, uncomfortable
conditions

-livestock fed antibiotics-
antibiotic resistance
prevent spread of infections/disease
-only growing 1 crop type-
reduces biodiversity
maximises food production
-fertilisers-
fertilisers runoff and enter watercourses- harm sealife
maximise food production
-remove hedgerows-
reduce biodiversity
field bigger+ easier to maintain w/ big machinery

43
Q

process of genetically engineering bacteria to produce insulin x7
what is a restriction enzyme

A

plasmid removed from bacteria
insulin gene cut from human chromosome using restriction enzyme
One DNA strand has sticky end (unpaired bases)
plasmid cut open using same enzyme- same sticky ends
plasmid and human gene mixed together
ligase joins sticky ends- recombinant dna
Recombinant DNA inserted into bacteria

(enzyme produced chiefly by bacteria)

44
Q

what is a restriction enzyme
what do we do once recombinant dna is inserted into bacteria x3

A

enzyme that recognises specific sequences of DNA. Cuts DNA at these points
bacteria grown in vat-under controlled conditions.
end up w/ millions of insulin producing bacteria
insulin harvested+ purified to treat ppl

45
Q

-what do modern biotechnology techniques do
-What is mycoprotien
-how is it made 2 steps

A

-culture (grow) large amounts of microorganisms for food
-protein-rich food suitable for vegetarians
-Fussarium fungus grown on glucose syrup in aerobic conditions.
(uses glucose syrup as food)
(fungal) biomass harvested + purified to produce mycoprotien

46
Q

why is biotechnology helpful in developing countries- Crops can be produced which x3

A

-are resistant to pests + disease-increase yield
-grow better in drought-increase yield
-provide more nutritional value eg golden rice provides vitamin A

47
Q

-reasons why people dont agree with genetically modifying crops to increase yield x3

A

-the issue isn’t lack of food, ppl just cant afford it-poverty needs to be tackled
-fear countries become dependent on companies selling GM seeds
-poor soil can be the reason crops die, even GM crops wont survive

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