B3 Cycles In Ecosystems Flashcards
What substances are essential for life on earth?
Water and Carbon
What is an ecosystems?
A community of living organisms in an area as well as the non living non conditions.
How are Carbon and water recycled?
Through biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem.
What are the biotic parts of the ecosystem?
Living organisms
What are the abiotic parts of an ecosystem?
Air, rocks and soil
Where do water and Carbon come from?
They are passed through both living organisms and things like air, rock and soil in a continuous cycle.
What does the carbon cycle show?
How Carbon is recycled.
Why is Carbon essential?
All living things are made from Carbon and there is fixed amount of carbon in the world.
What are fossil fuels made from?
Decayed plant and animal matter
What happens to plants and animals when they die?
They are decomposed by microorganisms and the Carbon is released into the soil.
Or they are made into useful products.
What is the Carbon cycle powered by?
Photosynthesis
What do green plants use Carbon from CO2 to make?
Carbohydrates, lipids and proteins
How are Carbon compounds passed into animals?
The Carbon in the plants is passed along the food chain to animals by eating.
How is CO2 released into the air?
Respiration of plants and animals
What are decomposers?
Microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria, that breakdown dead plants and animals.
How do decomposers breakdown dead material?
They release enzymes that catalyse the breakdown of dead material into smaller molecules.
How do decomposers release CO2 back into the atmosphere?
Respiration as they breakdown the material.
What happens when we burn wood or fossil fuels?
CO2 is released back into the atmosphere
Why is decomposition needed in a habitat?
So that nutrients can be returned to the soil and waste matter doesn’t just pile up.
Suggest two reasons why chopping down trees can increase the concentration of CO2 in the air. (2 marks)
Not as much CO2 in the air being used for photosynthesis (1 mark)
Microorganisms involved in decomposition of dead trees release CO2 into the air through respiration (1 mark)
As well as Carbon what else is constantly recycled?
Water.
How is water turned into water vapour?
Energy from the sun makes water evaporate from the land and sea and turn into water vapour.
What is transpiration ?
Water evaporation from plants.
What happens to water vapour to cause it to form clouds?
Warm water vapour is carried upwards, when it gets higher it cools and condenses to form clouds.
