B4 Flashcards
(29 cards)
Definition of an ecosystem
and ecosystem is the interaction of living and non-living parts of an environment
Explain the process of the carbon cycle
1) carbon dioxide from the air is taken in by plants and used during photosynthesis to make carbohydrates fats and proteins which make up the plants biomass
2) some of the carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere during plant respiration
3) the plant is eaten by animals
4) animal respiration return some of the carbon dioxide in the air
5) when the animal dies and decomposes the carbon dioxide is released back into the air through the respiration of the decomposers
6) some of the decayed plant and animal matter you’ll form fossil fuels which when burnt release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
7) alternatively the plant is turned into useful products such as wood, the carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere when they are burnt
Explain the process of the nitrogen cycle
1) First nitrogen fixation happens in one of two ways, either nitrogen fixing bacteria in the soil or nodules of the roots of plants the turn nitrogen gas in the air into nitrate compounds or lightning has so much energy that it allows nitrogen to react with oxygen in the air to produce nitrates in soil
2) the plants then take up the nitrogen compounds from the soil
3) the plants and then eaten by animals and humans the animals and humans then die and decomposers decaying remains into ammonia which forms ammonium ions overtime
4) nitrifying bacteria turns ammonia ions into nitrates
5) dentrifing bacteria turns the nitrates back into nitrogen gas which is released back into the
How much of the is made up of nitrogen ?
78% of the air is made up nitrogen
Why do we need nitrogen ?
We need nitrogen to make proteins
What is nitrogen fixation ?
Nitrogen fixation is the process of turning nitrogen gas from the air into nitrogen compounds and soul which plants can use
Explain the process of the water cycle
1) energy from the sun makes water evaporate from the land and sea turning it into water vapour
2) the warm water vapour is carried up wards until it calls and then condenses to form clouds
3) waterfalls from clouds as precipitation and is returned to the land and sea
How do microorganisms recycle material through decomposition ?
Dead remains in waste products are first broken down by dentritivores (worms, maggots) and then digested by decomposers (bacteria, fungi) which returns the materials to the environment .
Which three factors affecting the rate of decomposition and why ?
- oxygen availability – needed for aerobic respiration which is faster than anaerobic respiration
- temperature – enzymes digests the waste and work best at a high temperature of 50°C
- water content – decomposes need water to survive (however waterlogged soils don’t contain enough oxygen so the rate will decrease if the soil is waterlogged)
Definition of population
the population is the total number of one species in ecosystem
Definition of community
the community is all the plants and animals living in ecosystem
Definition of an ecosystem
ecosystem is the interaction of living and nonliving parts with their surroundings
Give four types of competition between animals
animals will compete for resources such as territory, mates, food and water
Give four types of competition between plants
plants will compete with resources such as light, space, water and minerals
What is in abiotic factor ?
And abiotic factor is a nonliving factor
Give for examples of abiotic factors
abiotic factors include temperature, moisture levels, light intensity and pH of soil
What is a biotic factor?
A biotic factor is a living factor
Give 4 examples of biotic factors
Biotic factors include food availability, new pathogens , new predators and competition
Explain why there are predator-pray cycles
There’s more food becomes available for a species the population will increase shortly after the population of predators will increase because there are more pray the food . Therefore shortly after the population of prey decrease due to increased number of predators due to a decrease number of prey predator population will decrease due to lack of food and the prey population will increase due to a lack of predators and the cycle carries on
What is a parasitic relationship ?
A parasitic relationship is when one organism benefits but the other is harmed four example Kate one attached she intestines and absorb nutrients but the human suffers from malnutrition
What is a mutualistic relationship ?
Mutualistic relationship is where two organisms living together both benefit for example insects pollinate plants and collect nectar in return
What is the first level in a food chain called?
The first level in the food chain is always called the producer
What are the other levels after the first level in a food chain called?
After the producer the other levels are the consumers (e.g. primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer)
What is each stage of the food chain known as?
Each stage of the food chain is known as a trophic level
