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Biology - ecology Flashcards

1
Q

How to use a quadrat to study the distribution of small organisms

A

Place a 1m squared quadrat on the ground at a random point within the first sample area. Usually find the point by using 2 rules at right angles from each other and using the random function on the calculator to provide coordinates.
Count all organisms within the quadrat
Repeat steps as many times as you can
Work out the mean number of organisms per quadrat within the first sample area
Repeat all steps in the second sample area
Compare the two means

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2
Q

Habitat

A

A place where an organism lives

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3
Q

Population

A

All the organisms of one species living in a habitat

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4
Q

Community

A

The populations of different species living in a habitat

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5
Q

Abiotic factors

A

non living factors of the environment, eg. temperature

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6
Q

Biotic factors

A

living factors of thew environment, eg. food

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7
Q

Ecosystem

A

The interaction of a community of living organisms with the nonliving parts of the environment

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8
Q

What resources do plants compete for

A

light
space
water
mineral ions

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9
Q

What resources do animals compete for

A

space (territory)
food
water
mates

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10
Q

Interdependence

A

In a community each species depends on other species for things like food, shelter, pollination and seed dispersal

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11
Q

What does the interdependence of all living things in an ecosystem mean

A

Means that any major change in the ecosystem can have far reaching affects

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12
Q

Stable communities

A

All the species and environmental factors are balanced so that he population sizes are roughly constant

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13
Q

Examples of stable communities

A
  • tropical rainforest
  • ancient oak woodlands
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14
Q

Examples of abiotic factors

A
  • moisture levels
  • light intensity
  • temperature
  • carbon dioxide levels (for plants)
  • wind intensity
  • oxygen levels
  • soil pH and mineral content
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15
Q

How could a decrease light affect population size

A

A decrease in light intensity could decrease the rate of photosynthesis in a plant species. This could cause an affect on plant growth and cause a decrease in the population size.

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16
Q

How could a decrease in the mineral content of soil cause a decrease in population size

A

Decrease in mineral content of soil could lead to nutrient deficiencies. This could also affect plant growth and cause a decrease in the population size.

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17
Q

Examples of biotic factors

A
  • new predators
  • competition
  • new pathogens
  • availability of food
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18
Q

Adaptations

A

The features or characteristics that allows an organism to live in different environmental conditions.

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19
Q

Types of adaptations

A
  • structural
  • behavioural
  • functional
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20
Q

Example of structural adaptations

A
  • colour to help camouflage
  • layers of fat to keep warm
  • size of surface area to volume ratio
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21
Q

Example of behavioural adaptation

A

Many species migrate to warmer climates during the winter to avoid the problems of living in cold conditions

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22
Q

Functional adaptations

A

Things that go on inside an organism’s body that can be related to processes like reproduction and metabolism

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23
Q

Example of functional adaptation

A

Desert animals conserve water by providing very little sweat and small amounts of concentrated urine

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24
Q

What do food chains start with

A

Start with the producer

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25
Q

Producers

A

Make their own food using energy from the sun - usually green plants or algae

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26
Q

Biomass

A

The mass of living material - energy stored in plaNts

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27
Q

Organisms in the food chain

A

Producers
Primary consumers
Secondary consumers
Tertiary consumers

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28
Q

Predators

A

Consumers that hunt and kill other animals

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29
Q

What is the population of a species limited by

A

The amount of food available. If the population of prey increase then so will the predators, however as the population of predators increase then the prey will decrease

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30
Q

Distribution of an organism

A

Where an organism is found

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31
Q

How to use transects to study the distribution of organisms along a line

A

Marl out a line in the area you want to study using a tape meausure
Collect data along the line by just counting all the organisms you’re interested in that touched the line
Collect data by using quadrats

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32
Q

What does a change in distribution mean

A

Means a change in where an organism lives

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33
Q

Environmental changes that can affect the distribution of an organism

A
  • change in the availability of water
  • change in temperature
  • change in the composition of atmosphere
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34
Q

Describe the water cycle

A

Energy from the sun makes the water evaporate from the land and sea, turning it into water vapour. Water also evaporates from plants (transpiration)
The warm water vapour is carried upwards as warm air rises. When it gets higher up it cools and condenses to form clouds.
Water falls from clouds as precipitation onto land, where it provides fresh water for plants and animals
It then drains into the sea before the whole process starts again

35
Q

What causes elements to be cycled back to the start of the food chain

A

Decay

36
Q

What do plants turn carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen into

A

Turn elements from the sol and the air into complex compounds (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) that make up living organisms. These get passed up the food chain

37
Q

How are the complex compounds returned back to the environemnt

A

In waste products or when the organism dies and decays. Decay puts the stuff that plants need to grow, back into the soil.

38
Q

Why do materials decay

A

Because they are broken down (digested) by microorganisms.

39
Q

Conditions where decay is faster

A

Decay is faster in warm, moist, aerobic (oxygen rich) conditions because microorganisms are more active in these conditions

40
Q

How is co2 removed from the atmosphere

A

By green plants and algae during photosynthesis. the carbon is used to make glucose which can be turned into fats, carbohydrates and proteins that make up the body of the plants and algae.

41
Q

How do plants and algae release co2 in to the atmosphere

A
  • plant respiration
  • ## when plants, animals and algae die, other animals and microorganisms feed on their remains. When these organisms respire co2 is returned into the atmosphere
42
Q

How do animals release co2 into the atmosphere

A
  • animal respiration
  • death and waste which is broken down my microogranisms
43
Q

How does human activity release co2 into the air

A
  • the combustion of wood and fossil fuels releases co2
44
Q

What can decomposition produce

A

compost

45
Q

What is compost

A

Decomposed organic matter that is used as a natural fertiliser for crops and garden plants

46
Q

What organisms are responsible for decomposition

A
  • microorganisms like bacteria and fungi
  • detritus feeders
47
Q

How do higher temperatures make things decompose quicker

A

They increase the rate that the enzymes involved in decomposition work at. If it’s too hot though then decomposition slows down as the enzymes are destroyed and the organisms die. Really slow temps slow the rate of decomposition too.

48
Q

How does oxygen availability make things decompose quicker

A

Many organisms need oxygen to respire, which they need to do to survive. The microorganisms involved in anaerobic decay don’t need oxygen though.

49
Q

How does water availability make things decompose quicker

A

Decay takes place faster in moist environments because the organisms involved in decay need water to carry out biological process.

50
Q

How is biogas made

A

Through the anaerobic decay of waste materials. This type of decay produces methane gas

51
Q

What is biogas made up of

A

Methane which can be burned as a fuel

52
Q

What is used to make biogas on a large scale

A

Sludge waste

53
Q

Where is biogas made

A

In a simple fermenter called a digester or generator.

54
Q

Condition of biogas generators

A

Need to be kept at a constant temperature to keep microorganisms respiring away

55
Q

What is biogas used for

A

Cant be stored as a liquid so it has to be used straight away - for heating, cooking lighting or to power a turbine to generate elctricity

56
Q

Two main types of biogas generators

A
  • batch generators
  • continuous generators
57
Q

Batch generators

A

Makes biogas in small batches
Manually loaded up with waste which is left to digest and the by-products are cleared away after every session

58
Q

Continuous generators

A

Make biogas all the time
Waste is continuously fed in and biogas is produced at a steady rate
Continuous generators are more suited to large scale biogas projects

59
Q

Things that biogas generators must have

A

An inlet for waste material to put in
An outlet for the digested material be removed through
An outlet so that the biogas can be piped to where it is needed

60
Q

Decay practical

A

Measure out 5cm cubed of lipase solution and add it to a test tube. Label this tube with a. letter L for lipase
Measure out 5cm cubed of milk and add it to a different test tube
Add 5 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to the test tube containing milk
Then measure out 7cm cubed of sodium carbonate solution and add it to the milk and indicator test tube. This makes the solution in the tube alkaline so it should turn pink.
Put both tubes into a water bath set to 30 degrees and leave them to reach the temp of the water bath, use thermometer to check this
Once the tubes have reached 30 degrees use a calibrated dropping pipette to put 1 cm cubed of the lipase solution into the milk tube and start a stopwatch straight away.
Stir the contents of the tube with a glass rod, the enzyme will start to decompose the milk
As soon as the solution loses its pink colour stop the stop watch and record how long the colour change took in a table
Repeat the experiment at a range of different temps
Carry experiment out three times at each temp and calculate meantime
use results to calculate rate of decay

61
Q

Biodiversity

A

The variety of different species of organisms on Earth, or within am ecosystem

62
Q

Why is high biodiversity important

A

Helps to make ecosystems more stable because different species depend on each other for things like food and shelter

63
Q

How can we reduce the negative effects of humans on biodiversity

A
  • Use breeding programmes for endangered species
  • protecting and regenerating wetlands so they can never be drained
  • Field margins create a place where wild animals can live
  • hedge rows help to preserve biodiversity in farms
  • Government action - renewable energy
  • individuals - recycling waste materials so less waste ends up in landfills so fewer habitats are destroyed
64
Q

how does increased population affect the environment

A
  • puts pressure on the environment as we take the resources we need to survive
  • use more raw materials and energy for manufacturing processes
  • raw materials are being used up quicker than they’re replaced so if we carry on like we are, one day we are going to run out
65
Q

How do waste products from human activity affect the environment

A

Unless the waste is properly handled harmful pollution will be caused. Pollution affects water, land and air and kills plants and animals, reducing biodiversity.

66
Q

How does waste in water affect biodiversity

A

Sewage and toxic chemicals from industry can pollute lakes, rivers and oceans, affecting the plants and animals that rely on them for survival. Chemicals used on land can be washed into water

67
Q

How does waste on land affect biodiversity

A

We use toxic chemicals for farming. We also bury nuclear waste underground and we dump a lot of household waste into landfill sites

68
Q

How does waste chemicals in air affect biodiversity

A

Smoke and acidic gases released into the atmosphere can pollute the air e.g. sulfur dioxide can cause acid rain

69
Q

What role do carbon dioxide and methane play in global waring

A

Trap energy from the sun. Gases In the atmosphere act as an insulating layer. They absorb most of the energy that would normally be radiated out into space, and re-radiate it in all directions. This increases the earths temperature.

70
Q

How is the temperature of the earth a balance

A

Its a balance between the energy it gets from the Sun and the energy it radiates back out into space

71
Q

Global warming

A

The Earth is gradually heating up due to an increase in greenhouse gases

72
Q

4 consequences of global warming

A
  • flooding
  • distribution of species
  • changes in migration patterns
  • reduction of biodiversity
73
Q

How can flooding be a result of global warming

A

Higher temp causes seawaters to expand and ice to melt, causing the sea levels to rise

74
Q

How is the distribution of species be a result of global warming

A

The distribution many wild animals and plants may change as temp increases and amount of rainfall changes in different areas.

75
Q

How is reduction of biodiversity a result of global warming

A

If some species are unable to survive a change in the climate and become extict

76
Q

What traps co2

A

Trees and peat bogs

77
Q

Problems with deforestation

A
  • less co2 is taken in - the amount of co2 removed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis is reduced.
  • trees lock up some of their carbon that they absorb during photosynthesis, removing trees means less is locked up
  • co2 is released when trees are burnt to clear land
  • microorganisms feeding on bits of dead wood releases co2 as a waste product of respiration
  • less biodiversity habitats like forest contain a huge number of different species of plants and animals, so when they are destroyed their is a danger of many species becoming extinct
78
Q

How do bogs create peat

A

They are acidic and waterlogged meaning the plants that live in the bogs don’t fully decay when they die because theirs not enough oxygen. The partly-rotted plants gradually build up to form peat

79
Q

How do peat bogs trap co2

A

The carbon in the plant is stored in the peat instead of being released into the atmosphere

80
Q

Why are peats drained

A

So the area can be used for farmland or the peat is cut up and dried to use as fuel. Sold to gardeners as compost.

81
Q

How does destroying peatbogs release co2

A

When peat is drained it comes into contact with air and then some microorganisms decompose it. When these microorganisms respire they release co2.
Co2 is also released when peat is burned as a fuel
Destroying the bogs also destroys the habitats of some of the animals, plants and microorganisms that live there so reduces biodiversity

82
Q

Conflicting pressures that affects how biodiversity is maintained

A

Costs money
Could affect peoples lively hooFood security also needs to be protected

83
Q
A

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