Abiotic and biotic factors Flashcards
(14 cards)
what is biodiversity?
the variety of living things in an area
exp rainforest = very diverse
desert = less diverse
what are biotic factors that effect biodiversity?
competition for resources
disease
food availability
grazing
predation
what are abiotic factors that effect biodiversity
light intensity
moisture
Ph
temperature
what is the “distribution of organisms” ?
The range of a species in an area they can be found
what are some factors that might increase biodiversity?
increased moisture levels
warm temperatures
good food availability
what are some factors that might decrease biodiversity?
Extreme temperatures
over grazing
too many predators
what does grazing mean?
when animals like cows, sheep, goats feed on the grass and plants growing in fields
what does pasturage mean?
the grass or vegetation in a field that animlals graze on
what does ph tolerance do?
determines the suitability of an environment for various organisms and effects thier survival
how could you measure abiotic factors in an ecosystem?
measured using equipment
- light intensity
- light meter
- shadow covering
- someone stands on each side to prevent shadow
- soil moisture
- moisture meter
- moisture and soil left on probe
- make sure probe is clean after each reading
- soil ph
- ph meter
- moisture or soil left on probe
- make sure probe is clean after each reading
- temperature
- thermometer
- placed in direct sunlight or placing bulb in hand
- dont place in direct sunlight or hold bulb with hand
how could you measure biotic factors in an ecosystem?
representative sampling
- Place a quadrat at the random area to allow it to be representative
- count number of organisms in the quadrat
- repeat a number of times (10) to improve the reliability of results
what are human limitations of using a quadrat?
human judgement - some plants may be partially outside/ outside the quadrat
what are pitfall traps used for?
to sample the small invertebrates living on the ground you are likely to trap insects
how do you do a pitfall trap?
- dig and hole and put a container in the hold that is level with the surface
- cover the trap with a piece of grass or stone to keep out rain and make it dark, drainage holes can also be added
- traps must be checked the next day or often
- large number of traps makes it mote reliable
