Ecology Flashcards
(54 cards)
What is an abiotic factor and examples
The non-living effectors of an environment
Carbon Dioxide, pH, Light, Temperature
What is a biotic factor and example
The living effectors of an environment
Predators, competition, food availability, pathogens
Adaptations definition
Features of an animal that allow it to survive better in it’s environment
What are the types of adaptations and explain them
Structural- Features of an animals body
Behavioral- how the organism behaves
Functional- The ways the processes inside of the organism work
Example of structural, behavioral and functional adaptations
Structural- Horns, camouflage
Behavioral- Migration, herd behavior
Functional- Being able to digest food, low metabolism during winter
Who had an idea that opposed Darwin’s and what was that idea
Lamarck
He said that throughout its lifetime an animal might use a certain part of its body more for activities, this grows it and is passed onto the next generation
What is Darwin’s theory of evolution
Through natural mutation some members of a population gain random adaptations to their environment and live to pass these adaptations onto their offspring. This eventually ends up in the evolution into a different species
What is the source of all energy in a food chain
Sun’s radiation
What does an arrow in the food chain mean (not obvs)
Flow of energy
What happens to the population of prey and predator over time
The increase and decrease in opposite cycles
What is carrion
Decaying flesh
What is mutualism
When both species benefit from a relationship
What is it called when a parasite only benefits from living off a host
Parisitism
What do humans use land for
Quarrying, Mining, Agriculture, Landfill
How are peat bogs made
The decomposition of living matter over thousands of years
What do humans use peat for
Burning, compost
Why is burning peat and trees bad
Release their stored carbon into the atmosphere
What is precipitation
Condensation of water on the ground
Transpiration
The transportation to and loss of water by evaporation fom the leaves
What is the greenhouse effect
When greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reflect the rays of the sun that have reflected off the earth, back onto the earth
What causes global warming
Increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (due to human activity) causes more of the sun’s rays to be reflected back onto earth as there is more particles for the rays to bounce off of
What does global warming lead to
Melting of ice-caps
Extreme weather patterns
Climate change
Rising sea levels
What are quadrats used for
Measure the frequency of an organism in a given area
How to ensure quadrats are placed randomly
Assign the area with co-ordinates
Use a random number generator to pick to x and y co-ordinates
