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GCSE Biology > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

What is a living organism?

A

An individual capable of life. It could be a tiny bacterial cell or yeast cell, or it could be a tree or elephant or insect. All of these individual organisms.

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2
Q

What is a habitat?

A

The place where an organism lives, e.g. a tadpole lives in the water habitat, but a woodlouse lives in a woodland habitat

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3
Q

What is an abiotic factor?

A

A nonliving factor that affects where an organism can live BG temperature PH wind, speed, carbon dioxide or oxygen availability

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4
Q

What is a biotic factor?

A

A living factor that affects where an organism can live

E.g. food, availability competition, new diseases and new predators are all biotic factors

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5
Q

What is the population?

A

All the individuals of the same species in the same habitat

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6
Q

What is a community?

A

All the individuals of different species in the same habitat

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7
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

The interaction of the community of living organisms and the abiotic factors that affect them

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8
Q

How do living organisms interact?

A

To survive and reproduce organisms need to supply materials from the environment and from the other organisms living there

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9
Q

What do plants compete with each other for?

A

Plants need light, water, mineral, irons and space to grow. Some plants are better competitors for these factors.

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10
Q

What do animals compete with each other for?

A

Animals need oxygen, water, food, meat, and territorial. Some animals are better competitors than others

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11
Q

What is interdependence?

A

Species in a community depends on each other for food, shelter, pollination, seed dispersal etc if one species is removed, the community becomes unstable

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12
Q

What is a stable community?

A

A community where all the species and all the environmental factors are in balance

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13
Q

Why are adaptations of living organisms important?

A

Adaptations can help individuals survive in their normal conditions

There are three types of adaptation, structural, functional and behavioural

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14
Q

How can we spot a stable community?

A

In a stable community, the population sizes remain fairly constant. This is a sign of stability.

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15
Q

What is a structural adaptation

A

And I’m Dad Titian, of how the organism is built.
Eg camels have a hump which stores fat. This structure helps it survive without water and foods for a long time

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16
Q

What is a functional adaptation?

A

Adaptation of how the organism functions
E.g. desert rats produce almost no urine. This function helps it survive in low water conditions.

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17
Q

What is a behavioural adaptation?

A

Adaptation of how the organism behaves, e.g. desert rats are nocturnal (They sleep in borrows during the heat of the day). This behaviour helps keep it away from heat and some predators.

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18
Q

What is an extremophile?

A

Any organism (but usually bacteria) that can survive high temperatures, high pressures or high salt concentrations. Bacteria living in deep sea vents survive at a very high pressure.

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19
Q

What are producers?

A

Any organisms that produce their own glucose supply by photosynthesising using light from the Sun as their energy source. Producers are green plants or algae

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20
Q

What are consumers?

A

Any organisms that have to eat to get food. Some consumers graze on producers and other consumers hunt and kill to get their food.

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21
Q

What is biomass?

A

The mass of living tissue in an organism.It is usually calculated as dry mass by drying out the organism until no water remains inside it cells

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22
Q

What is a food web?

A

A series of interconnected food chains
Webs show more detailed information about all the different foods that an organism might consume

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23
Q

What is a primary consumer?

A

A consumer that eats plants (producers)

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24
Q

What is a secondary consumer?

A

Consumer that eats primary consumers

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25
Q

What is the predator species?

A

A consume in a hunt and kills other consumers

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26
Q

What is a food chain?

A

Flowcharts to show, feeding relationships or food chain start with a producer an arrow means “ is energy for” or “ is eaten by”

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27
Q

What is a prey species?

A

A Consumer that is hunted and killed for food

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28
Q

What is a predator prey cycle?

A

A graph that shows the rise and fall of predator and prey, populations over time in a stable community
Well known eg is the lynx and the snowshoe hare which live in northern Canada

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29
Q

What do you mean by distribution of a species?

A

The location in a habitat that a particular species is found

For example, bluebells are found distributed mainly in Woodlands and under hedges

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30
Q

What do you mean by abundance of species?

A

The number of individuals of a particular species. For example, there may be a higher abundance of bluebells near the edges of the woodland then at the centre.

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31
Q

How do we measure distribution and abundance?

A

Using quadrats and transects to find a sample of the species. The sample should be representative of the whole habitat. There are two main sampling techniques.

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32
Q

What processing can we do with the abundance data?

A

Calculate the mode, mean or median and range. We can plot graphs to show how abundance of a species changes to a habitat/how abundant difference between two habitats

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33
Q

What is the required practical for this unit?

A

Measuring the population size of a species in a habitat using sampling techniques

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34
Q

What is the carbon cycle?

A

The cycling of carbon between the atmosphere, plants and respiring organisms

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35
Q

Why is the carbon cycle important?

A

Carbon dioxide is taken in by plants during photosynthesis and released back into the atmosphere during respiration.

If there is an imbalance due to too much combustion, it causes problems.

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36
Q

What can go wrong with the carbon cycle?

A

Too much combustion causes carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to rise

This can lead to global warming as carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.

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37
Q

What do micro organisms do in the carbon cycle?

A

Micro organisms digest the carbohydrates in waste material, producing glucose; and then respire the glucose.

This also releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and minerals to the soil.

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38
Q

What do we call microorganisms in the carbon cycle?

A

Any micro organism that digests carbohydrates, and then respires the glucose is called a decomposer. This process is called decomposition.

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39
Q

What is the water cycle?

A

The cycling of water between the atmosphere (as water vapour and clouds) and the water stores (rivers, lakes and oceans)

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40
Q

Why is the water cycle important?

A

all living organisms need a supply of freshwater for humans are drinking water needs to be potable (safe for drinking)

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41
Q

What is precipitation?

A

Any water falling out of the sky is precipitation

42
Q

What is evaporation?

A

water turns from liquid to a gas as it is heated by the Sun. The warm and sunny other day the faster the water will evaporate from water vapour in the air.

43
Q

What is condensation?

A

Water vapour cools will turn back to a liquid. This happens when clouds form from the water vapour in the atmosphere.

44
Q

What factors affect the rate of decomposition?

A

Temperature water, availability, and oxygen availability all effects how fast biological material decays

45
Q

Why is it important that biological material decomposes?

A

If dead plants and animals and their waste did not decompose mineral irons would not be recycled for reuse and waste would build up on the ground each year

46
Q

What is compost?

A

Compost is produced when waste, biological material. (Usually dead Plant waste) has decayed

47
Q

What is compost used for?

A

Gardeners put compost on the soil as a natural fertiliser. This is why many gardeners are keen to have the optimum conditions for decay so the compost forms quickly.

48
Q

what are the optimum conditions for decay?

A

Warmth, some moisture, and some oxygen. Compost bins have holes in the side to allow gases (oxygen) to circulate. Excess moisture can also drain out of the holes.

49
Q

How does the waste stay warm in a compost bin or heap?

A

The dead plant material is being decomposed by the bacteria living on it. The bacteria decompose the waste and then respire using glucose. Respiration releases heat energy.

50
Q

What happens to decomposition when there’s no oxygen

A

Anaerobic decay takes place and the waste products include methane gas

51
Q

Is anaerobic decay useful

A

Yes, biogas generators can be built to carry out anaerobic decay and collect the methane gas to use as fuel

52
Q

What sort of environmental changes could affect species?

A

Temperature , availability of water and the composition of gases in the atmosphere

53
Q

What could cause environmental factors to change.

A

Changes could be seasonal, geographical or caused by human actions

54
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

The variety of living organisms in an ecosystem or on the Earth

55
Q

how do humans lower biodiversity?

A

We pollute habitats, we destroy habitats to build on or to farm, and we destroy forests. All of these have negative impact on biodiversity.

56
Q

Why is greater biodiversity important?

A

The greater the biodiversity, the more stable the ecosystem is. More stable ecosystems are more likely to remain unharmed

57
Q

What do we mean by the stability of ecosystems?

A

If one animal species relies on a single species for food, shelter, or to keep their physical environment constant Then this is unable as if the species stable they rely on is gone, so are they

58
Q

So what would a stable ecosystem look like?

A

Every species in a stable ecosystem would rely on several other species and the population of the sizes of the species would be fairly constant and unchanging so the ecosystem is unlikely to change

59
Q

What is waste management?

A

Humans produce waste which needs to be properly handled. If it isn’t we can cause pollution of water, air or on land by sewage, fertilisers, toxic chemicals, smoke, acidic gases and land, fill

60
Q

Why is pollution a problem?

A

Pollution kills animals and plants and this reduces biodiversity, making some ecosystems unstable

61
Q

Why is human land use a problem.?

A

Humans reduce the amount of land available for the species by building, quarrying, farming and dumping waste

62
Q

What are peat bogs?

A

Areas of land where the abiotic factors (high acidity, and often waterlogged) meant that for years, plant material didn’t decompose when it died. These are rare habitats and so need is lots of production.

63
Q

how are peat bogs destroyed by humans?

A

Mostly we use peat to produce compost for gardeners. Nowadays, more compost is peat free to avoid destroying more peat bogs, but there is still some produced with peat.

64
Q

How else can peat bogs be destroyed?

A

If the water is drains away to dry out the ground, the peat will start to decay as the abiotic factors have changed.

Also, peat can be burned as a fuel, so this has been a big use of peat in some places.

65
Q

What happens when a peat bog is destroyed?

A

The area of peat bog land is reduced, and this means the variety of plants, animals and micro organisms is reduced
Biodiversity levels fall in these rare habitats

66
Q

Why is peat destruction bad for the environment?

A

Decaying peat (in compost or drained, peat bags) or burning peat as fuel releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas

67
Q

What is deforestation?

A

The permanent removal of trees from a forest, so the land can be used for farming, right, cattle, or biofuel crops

68
Q

Why is deforestation bad for the environment?

A

Loss of habitats as biodiversity falls. Also, new carbon dioxide can be taken in as the cut trees don’t photosynthesise, so more of the scar stays in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas

69
Q

What is global warming?

A

When the atmosphere warms due to increased levels of carbon dioxide and methane gas

70
Q

Why are atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increasing?

A

We burn more fossil fuels and wood. We destroy peat these actions release carbon dioxide. We cause deforestation, so the trees aren’t there to photosynthesise and remove the gas from the air.

71
Q

Why are atmospheric methane levels increasing?

A

We farm more and more rice and cattle. Both of these release methane into the atmosphere. Methane is a greenhouse gas too

72
Q

How do you greenhouse gases cause global warming?

A

Greenhouse gases stop heat energy leaving the atmosphere and escaping into space.
The atmosphere gets warmer because the greenhouse gases trap the heat energy.

73
Q

How do humans improve biodiversity?

A

Reducing deforestation
Protecting rare habitats including peat bogs
Breeding endangered species
Recycling instead of jumping resources in landfill

74
Q

How did farming methods reduce biodiversity?

A

Hedges around some fields were removed to make fields bigger and easier to farm. These fields usually only contains one type of crop plant (monoculture) so biodiversity is lower.

75
Q

How can farming methods improve the biodiversity?

A

Replanting of hedgerows and leaving a strip of unfarmed land round the edge of each field, allows all the plant species to grow.
More plants varieties, give more variety of food for animal species.

76
Q

How can government improve biodiversity?

A

Make laws to reduce carbon emissions

protect forests and rare habitats by making them sites of special scientific interest (SSSI’s)

encouraging the recycling to reduce landfill.

77
Q

What is a trophic level?

A

“Troph” means feeding so trophic levels are feeding levels. They are numbers with one being the lowest trophic level which is plants and algae.

78
Q

Why are trophic levels useful

A

You can see how far along a food chain an animal is from its trophic level. So an animal that trophic level two must eat plants and algae.

79
Q

What is a producer?

A

Any organism that can make its own food. Plants and algae are producers. (trophic level one)

80
Q

What is a herbivore?

A

Any animal that eats plants or algae, it is called a primary consumer (trophic level two)

81
Q

What is a carnivore?

A

An animal that eats other animals (usually herbivores). It is a secondary consumer (trophic level three)

82
Q

What is an apex predator?

A

An animal that is a predator and is not pray to any other species. It is likely to be a tertiary consumer (trophic level 4)

83
Q

How do decomposers breakdown dead material?

A

Bacteria and fungi that are decomposers breakdown dead plant and animal material by secreting enzymes into the environment.

84
Q

How do decomposers feed on the broken down material?

A

Once the dead material has been broken down by enzymes, the small soluble molecules can be absorbed by diffusion into the decomposer.

85
Q

What is a pyramid of biomass?

A

They are stacked rectangles drawn to show the relative amount of biomass in each trophic level of a food chain .

86
Q

How is biomass measures?

A

Biomass is a biological mass, so it usually is measured in kg per unit area. Often it is kg m.

87
Q

Why do pyramids of biomass get smaller as they go up?

A

Biomass is lost between each trophic level, so the next level is always smaller.

88
Q

How much biomass is lost each trophic level

A

Usually only 10% of the biomass is passed on from one trophic level to the next

89
Q

Why is biomass lost at each trophic level?

A

Not all of the material is absorbed (some is egested in as faeces) and some of the absorbed material is lost as waste, such as CO2 and water in respiration and water/urea in urine.

90
Q

How is energy lost before it reaches the plants?

A

Only 1% of the energy from sunlight is converted into glucose during photosynthesis

91
Q

How was efficiency of biomass transfer calculated?

A

The biomass passed on to the next trophic level calculated as a percent of the total amount of previous level

92
Q

Why didn’t food chain/pyramids go on for longer?

A

There is not enough biomass passed on to keep another organism alive (except for decomposers, which are tiny and only need a small amount)

93
Q

What is food security?

A

The ability of a country to have enough food to feed its population

94
Q

How do biological factors affect food security?

A

Increasing birthrate,
changing diet,
new pests and pathogens, environmental changes,
cost for farmers and
conflicts such as war

can all affect the ability of a country to feed its population

95
Q

What is meant by the term “ sustainable food production”?

A

The ability to provide enough food now for the current population, without making it more difficult for future populations to feed themselves

96
Q

How can farming be made more efficient

A

Restrict movement and control temperature where animals are kept.

This reduces energy transferred to the environment so more energy is put into growth.

97
Q

How else can farmers increase the rate of animal growth?

A

Feed high protein foods.
Protein is needed for growth and repair so higher percent protein in the food means higher growth rate.

98
Q

Why should fishing be made sustainable?

A

Fish stocks are in decline, and some species are in danger due to overfishing and habitat destruction

99
Q

What level should fish stocks be at?

A

The number of new fish born each year should be more than the number of fish being removed by fishing. This ensures breeding is taking place.

100
Q

How can fishing become more sustainable

A

Controlling net sizes (reduces catch) and introducing fishing quotas (limit numbers caught by each boat) both help to ensure fish stocks are conserved at a sustainable level.

101
Q

How can biotechnology help provide food security?

A

Genetically modified crops can provide more food or food with more nutrients.
GM bacteria can produce human insulin to treat diabetes and the fungus Fusarium is harvested for Quorn.

GCSE Biology (6 decks)

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