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biology paper 2 > ecology > Flashcards

ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

what does habitat mean

A

the place where an organism lives

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2
Q

what does population mean

A

all the organisms of one species living in a habitat

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3
Q

what is a community

A

all the organisms of different species living in a habitat

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4
Q

what does abiotic factors mean

A

non living factors of the environment

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5
Q

what is are examples of a abiotic factors in an ecosystem

A

the temperature
moisture level
light intensity
carbon dioxide levels
oxygen level
soil Ph
wind intensity and direction

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6
Q

what does biotic factors mean

A

living factors off the enviroment

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7
Q

what are some examples of a biotic factors that may affect organisms in an ecosystem

A

availability of food
new predators
competition
new pathogens

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8
Q

what is an ecosystem

A

the interaction of a community of living organisms with the non-living parts of their enviroment

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9
Q

what is competition in ecosystems

A

an interaction between organisms or species in which they both try to use the same limited resources.

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10
Q

Give three resources that animals compete for.

A

food
water
mates
territory

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11
Q

what is interdependence in a ecosystem

A

that any major change can have far reaching effects

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12
Q

Give three resources that plants compete for.

A

space
light
water
minerals

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13
Q

what are two examples how change sin abiotic factors have a affect on plant populations

A
  • decrease in light intensity,temp or carbon dioxide could decrease rate of photosynthesis which can affect plant growth and cause decrease in population size
  • change in the mineral content of the soil could cause nutrient deficiencies which could also effect plant growth and reduce plant population size
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14
Q

what are examples how biotic changes in an environment can have a knock on effect

A

an new predator gets introduced in the environment which could cause a decrease in the prey population

red squirrels and grey squirrels eat same food in the same environment. grey squirrels out compete the red so the population of red squirrels is decreasing

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15
Q

how are artic foxes adapted to its environment

A

they have white fur so they are camouflaged against the snow which helps the avoid predators

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16
Q

how are whales and seals adapted to their cold enviroments

A

they have a thick layer of blubber and a low surface area to volume ratio to help them retain heat

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17
Q

how are camels adapted to their hot enviroments

A

they have a thin layer of fat and they have a large surface area to volume ratio to help them retain heat. They have large feet to stop them falling into the sand

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18
Q

what are some examples of behaviour adaptations

A

migration to warmer climates in cold winters - swallows

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19
Q

what are some examples of functional adaptations

A

desert animals conserve water by producing little sweat and small amount of concentrated urine

brown bears hibernate in winter - lower metabolism which conserves energy - dont have to hunt when there little food.

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20
Q

What does the term ‘structural adaptations’ refer to?

A

the physical features of a organism

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21
Q

What is an extremophile?

A

Extremophiles are microorganisms that live in extreme environments, such as those with high temperatures, pressures, or salt concentrations.

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22
Q

What type of organisms are extremophiles?

A

Archaea
Bacteria

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23
Q

what is a food chain

A

A model that shows how energy passes from organism to organism

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24
Q

what are producers

A

organisms that make glucose using photosynthesis

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25
Which resource do plants not compete for?
food
26
What do primary consumers feed on?
producers
27
what eats primary consumers
secondary consumers
28
what eats secondary comsumers
tertiary consumers
29
how is energy transferred between organisms in an ecosystem
when organisms eat other organisms
30
As energy passes along a food chain, most of the energy is _________.
lost
31
what are the steps in the water cycle
1) energy from sun makes water evaporate from the land and sea creating water vapour. - water also evaporates from plants - transpiration 2) warm water vapour rises - when it gets higher it cools and condense to from clouds 3) water fall from clouds - precipitation ( rain,snow or hail) onto land where it provides fresh water 4) water drains into sea and process starts again
32
Why is recycling nutrients important for all living organisms?
It provides the nutrients that living organisms use to grow and reproduce
33
does evaporation require,release energy or is it a passive process
requires energy ( energy from the sun in the water cycle)
34
What happens to water during condensation?
Water vapour turns into liquid water
35
what are teh 5 stores which most carbon is split between
the air plants the soil fossil fuels animals
36
what are the steps in the carbon cycle
!) carbon dioxide is removed from atmosphere by photosynthesis which si then used to make glucose. 2) the plants can either respire and pass it back out to the atmosphere or be eaten by animals - animals can also respire passing it back out to the atmosphere ( ONLY SOME RESPIRES) 3) when plants and animals die other animals feed on their remains ( detritus feeders and microorganisms) - these animals can repsire and return the CO2 4) animals produce waste that is broken down by microorganisms 5) if dead organisms are decayed in anaerobic conditions they can Crowley turn to fossils fuels which and then be burnt ( combustion)
37
Why is it important that there is carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
Carbon dioxide is needed for photosynthesis in plants
38
Which organisms decompose dead organic matter?
fungi bacteria
39
Which carbon-containing compound do plants produce during photosynthesis?
glucose
40
Which three processes in the carbon cycle release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere?
combustion decomposition respiration
41
what is biodiversity
the variety of different species of organisms on earth, or within a ecosystem
42
why is high biodiversity important in an ecosystem
makes sure that ecosystems are stable because different species depend on one another
43
what are examples of human actions that are decreasing biodiversity
waste production,deforestation and global warming
44
Give three reasons why maintaining high biodiversity is important.
It increases the stability of the ecosystem, so that changes are less likely to have adverse affects Many species provide specific services, such as pollination Many of our medicinal drugs come from wild species
45
what are impacts of the rapidly increasing population
- we take the resources we need to survive - use more raw materials - use more energy for manufacturing
46
how does humans producing more waste affect water
sewage and toxic chemicals can pollute lakes,rivers and oceans - affects plants and animals that use them for survival chemicals that are used on land ( pesticides) can be wasted away into the water
47
how does humans producing more waste affect land
toxic chemicals for farming ( pesticides) bury nuclear waste underground landfills
48
how does humans producing more waste affect the air
smoke and acidic gases released into atmosphere can pollute air e.g sulfur dioxide = acid rain
49
what is the atmosphere
a layer of gas surrounding the earth held in place by gravity
50
what are the effects of global warming
- sea levels rising - changes in species distribution - changes in migration patterns - reduction in biodiversity
51
what is deforestation?
The large scale clearance of trees from an area
52
what are examples of humans educe the amount of land available for plants and animals?
building, quarrying,farming,dumping waste,farming
53
Give three reasons for deforestation.
clear land for agriculture mining logging for wood
54
what are the three main problems with deforestation
There will be fewer trees carrying out photosynthesis - more CO2 burning the trees, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. destroys animals' habitats, meaning that fewer species can survive. This reduces biodiversity.
55
what is the soil like in peat bogs
water-logged acidic
56
do peat bogs have high or low levels of oxygen
low - their waterlogged so there is no space
57
do peat bogs have higher or lower levels of aerobic respiration, as compared to normal soils?
low because there is no oxygen
58
Do peat bogs decay organic matter more or less than normal soils?
less because there is not enough oxygen
59
what happens to the carbon in plants when they die in peat bogs
the carbon is stored in the peat peat bogs are usually drained for farmland or peat is cut up to be used a fuel when its drained it comes into contact with air microorganisms start to decompose it when the microorganisms respire they release CO2
60
Many areas of peat bog have been destroyed. Which two human activities contribute to peat bog destruction?
drained for farmland or peat is cut up to be used a fuel
61
what are the four different programmes to protect ecosystems and biodiveristy
breeding programmes reducing waste habitat protection preventing global warming
62
what are breeding programmes
- prevents endangered species becoming extinct - when animals are bred in captivity - species can be let back out into wild to boost or reestablish a population
63
what is habitat protection
- protects and regenerates rare habitats like mangroves and coral reefs - protects species that lives their
64
How do field margins and hedgerows in agriculture help increase biodiversity?
hey provide extra habitats and food sources so that a wider range of species can survive. field margins are areas of land around the edges of fields where wild flowers are left to grow
65
How can the government encourage businesses (including farmers) to reduce damage to biodiversity.
Set laws prohibiting or requiring certain things Pay businesses for carrying out certain practices (like planting hedgerows) Setting limits on harmful practice
66
what is in a reducing waste programme
people are encouraged to recycle - reduced amount of waste in landfills which could reduce the amount of land taken for landfills, leaving ecosystems
67
what are the conflicting pressures of maintaining biodiveristy
- the cost of programmes - effect on local economy - protecting food security - development of society
68
why is the cost of programmes a conflicting pressure for maintaining biodiversity
- costs money - e.g gov pays farmers for hedge rows and field margins - cost money to keep watch on whether programmes to keep biodiversity are being followed
69
how is the effect on the local economy a conflicting pressure for maintaining biodiversity
- may come at a cost to people livelihoods - reducing deforestation - people lose jobs and could be left unemployed - effects economy if people move away to find work
70
how is protecting food security a conflicting pressure for maintaining biodiversity
killing pests can affect biodiversity but it protects crops and live stock so more food can be produced
71
how is the development of society a conflicting pressure for maintaining biodiversity
land is in high demand so previously untouched land with high biodiversity has to be used for development e.g housing on edges of towns,farming
72
what does abundance mean
Abundance refers to how many organisms there are.
73
what does distribution do
Distribution refers to where the organisms are.
74
what does sampling mean
measure a subset of the organisms, and use that subset to make predictions about the whole population.
75
what do quadrats measure
measure the abundance
76
what do Transects measure
measure the distribution
77
explain using quadrats to estimate dandelion numbers
Place multiple tape measures along the length and width of the field, forming a large grid. Use a random number generator to generate 10 pairs of random coordinates. Place quadrats at those coordinates and count how many dandelions are found in each quadrat. Calculate the mean number of dandelions per m2. Estimate the total population size using our mean number of dandelions per m2 and the total area of the field.
78
explain how to use a transect to study the distribution of dandelions in an open field stretching from a lake to a woodland
A transect line (usually a tape measure) is laid out in a straight line between the lake and woodland. Quadrats are placed at regular intervals along the transect line. The abundance of dandelions is measured by counting the number of dandelions in each quadrat along the transect line, from the lake to the woodland. Steps 1-3 are repeated using new transect lines (these must be parallel to the first). By using multiple transect lines, the data gathered is more representative of the area.
79
what is one method that students could use to plan where the quadrat should be randomly placed
a random number generator to get the co-ordinates and then place quadrat at those co-ordinates
80
what is one hazard that students could have when collecting data on sea shore
sliping on rocks the tide and waves/current
81
what is a type of pollution in water that may affect the population of a species that lives in the water
sewage oil

biology paper 2 (3 decks)

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