Ecology

Question 1

What is a habitat?

Answer 1

The place where an organism lives

Question 2

What is a population ?

Answer 2

All the organisms of one species living in a habitat

Question 3

What is a community?

Answer 3

The populations of different species living in a habitat

Question 4

What are abiotic factors ?

Answer 4

Non-living factors of the environment e.g temperature

Question 5

What are biotic factors ?

Answer 5

Living factors of the environment e.g food

Question 6

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic ?

Answer 7

Biotic is living organisms

Question 8

What is interdependent species ?

Answer 8

A community where each species depends on each other for food,shelter,pollination and seed dispersal

Question 9

Examples of abiotic factors that affect an ecosystem?

Answer 9

-moisture level
-light intensity
-temperature
-carbon dioxide level
-wind intensity and direction
-oxygen level
-soil ph and mineral content

Question 10

Examples of biotic factors that could affect the environment ?

Answer 10

-new predators
-competition
-new pathogens
-availability of food

Question 11

What are the 3 types of adaptations ?

Answer 11

-structural
-behavioural
-functional

Question 12

What are structural adaptations ?

Answer 12

Features of an organisms body structure that have changed

Question 13

What are behavioural adaptations ?

Answer 13

Ways that an organism behaves

Question 14

Functional adaptations are ?

Answer 14

Things that go on inside an organisms body that are related to processes

Question 15

What is the order of a food chain?

Answer 15

Producer —> primary consumer —> secondary consumer —>tertiary consumer

Question 16

Quadrats distribution RPA ?

Answer 16

1-Place quadrant on the group at a random point
2-count organisms within
3-repeat steps 1 and 2 as many time as your can
4-then find out the mean number of the organisms per quadrat

Question 17

Transect distribution RPA ?

Answer 17

1- mark out a line
2-collect the data along the line
3-counting all the organisms you are able to touch

Question 18

What are 3 ways environmental changes can affect the distribution of an organism?

Answer 18

-availability of water
-change in temperature
-changes in atmospheric gasses

Question 19

What is the order of the water cycle ?

Answer 19

1-evaporation of the water turning into water vapour
2-water is carried upward and condenses
3-the water fall from the clouds through precipitation
4-process happens again

Question 20

What is the carbon cycle ?

Answer 20

The cycle of elements
1-CO2 is removed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis by plants
2-when the plants respire the carbon is returned
3-when the plants are eaten carbon then moves up the food chain

Question 21

What is decay.?

Answer 21

Microorganisms break down plant and animal material and waste to get energy

Question 22

What is the rate of decay affected by ?

Answer 22

-temperature
-oxygene availability
-water availability
-number of decay organisms

Question 23

What is biogas ?

Answer 23

Mainly made up of methane which can be burned as a fuel

Question 24

What are the 2 main types of biogas generators and there uses ?

Answer 24

-batch generators- make biogas in small batches, manually loaded up with waste which is left to digest
-continuous generators- make biogas all the time, waste is continuously fed in, produced at 2 steady rate with a large scale

Question 25

Decay affected by temperature RPA?

Answer 25

1-Lipase solution in a test tube 2-diffrent test tube add milk,phenolphthalein,sodium carbonate solution 3-place both test tubes into a water bath and messure the temperature 4-transfer the lipase from 1 test tube to another and start the timer then stir with a glass rod when the colour changes stop the stop watch Result-colour change from pink to white formula Rate=1000/time

Question 26

What is biodiversity?

Answer 26

The variety of different species and organisms on earth or within a ecosystem

Question 27

Why is high biodiversity important ?

Answer 27

Makes sure they are stable as different species depend on each other and diffrent species can help to maintain the right physical environment for each other

Question 28

The independent variable in an experiment determines ?

Answer 28

What you change

Question 29

The dependent variable in an experiment is what ?

Answer 29

I hat you measure

Question 30

The control variable is what ?

Answer 30

What you keep the same

Question 31

What is global warming ?

Answer 31

The temperature increasing due to a increase of CO2 and methane which causes energy from the sun to constantly deflect back down onto earth making it harder for heat to escape

Question 32

What are the consequences of global warming?

Answer 32

-temperature increases causing ice to melt and changes in animals habitats -distribution of animals and plant as they can be In less environments -changes in migration patterns going to colder places

Question 33

What problems does deforestation cause ?

Answer 33

-less carbon dioxide taken in -more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -less biodiversity

Question 34

What are peat bogs?

Answer 34

Area of land that are acidic and waterlogged with partly rotted plants that build up to form peat

Question 35

What do peat bogs do ?

Answer 35

Store carbon

Question 36

What are examples of ways to stop a decrease in biodiversity?

Answer 36

-breeding programs -programmes to protect and regenerate rare habitats -to reintroduce hedgerows and field margins -governments have introduced regulations on deforestation -encourage recycling

Question 37

What are negatives of trying to protect the biodiversity?

Answer 37

-cost -conflict -lack of food security -development may be slowed down

Question 38

What are trophic levels ?

Answer 38

The different stages of a food chain

Question 39

What does each trophic level contain?

Answer 39

Trophic level 1 contain producers Trophic level 2 contains primary consumers Trophic level 3 contains secondary consumers Trophic level 4 contains tertiary consumers

Question 40

How do decomposers like bacteria and fungi decompose dead plant or animal material ?

Answer 40

Secreting (realising) enzymes that beak the dead stuff down into small soluble food molecules, these then diffuse into microorganisms

Question 41

What do pyramids of biomass show ?

Answer 41

The relative mass of Each trophic level

Question 42

Why is biomass lost between the trophic levels ?

Answer 42

-organisms don’t eat every single part of the organism they are eating -organisms don’t absorb all of the stuff in the food -some biomass taken in is converted into other substances

Question 43

How to calculate the efficiency of a biomass transfer ?

Answer 43

Efficiency=biomass transferred to the next level/biomass available at the previous level x100

Question 44

What affects food security?

Answer 44

-the world population keeps increasing -as diet develop countries change there demand for certain foods -farming can be affected by new pests and pathogens -high input costs of farming -conflict between availability of food and water

Question 45

How can food production be more efficient?

Answer 45

-livestock can be factory farmed -fish can be factory farmed -some animals are also fed high protein food

Question 46

What is biotechnology?

Answer 46

Living things and biological processes are manipulated to produce a useful produce

Question 47

What is mycoprotein used for ?

Answer 47

To make high protein meat substitutes for vegetarian meals

Question 48

Pros and cons of biotechnology?

Answer 48

Pros -GM crops can be produced that are resistant to pests -genetically modified to grow better in drought conditions -provide more nutritional value Cons -people can’t afford food -fears of countries becoming dependent on companies who sell GM seeds -poor soil why crops fail