Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

Ecology

A

The study of plants, animals and their environment, and the relationship between them

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2
Q

Environment

A

Everything that surrounds an animal or plant(for example air, water, rocks and soil)

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3
Q

Habitat

A

The place where a plant or animal lives

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4
Q

Community

A

All the different populations that live in the habitat. E.g. hedgehogs, snails,foxes and primroses belong to the woodland habitat

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5
Q

Interdependence

A

How organisms depend on each other for their survival. E.g. buttercups depend on bees (for food), bees need buttercups (for pollination)

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6
Q

Ecosystem

A

All the plants and animals in an area interacting with each other and their environment. E.g. desert, tropical rainforest, grasslands and seashore.

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7
Q

Biome

A

An ecosystem that extends over a very large area. E.g. rainforest

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8
Q

Biosphere

A

All of the earths ecosystems together to form one large ecosystem

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9
Q

Producer

A

Plants that make their own food e.g. grass, dandelion, nettles

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10
Q

Consumer

A

Animals that get their food by eating plants or other animals

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11
Q

Herbivore

A

An animal that eats plants only e.g. rabbit, sheep, slug, snail

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12
Q

Carnivore

A

An animal that eats other animals only e.g. fox, hawk, ladybird

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13
Q

Omnivore

A

An animal that eats both plants and animals e.g. badger, thrush, blackbird, humans.

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14
Q

Decomposer

A

Organisms that feed on dead plants and animals e.g. earthworms, bacteria, fungi. (Decomposes are very important as they break down dead things and release lots of minerals into the soil.

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15
Q

Food chains

A

They must start with green plants because they are the only things that can make food.

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16
Q

Feeding level

A

The position of an organism in the food chain.

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17
Q

Energy

A

The mount of energy gets less and less as you go along the food chain

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18
Q

food web

A

Two or more interconnected food chains.

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19
Q

Competition

A

It occurs when two or more organisms seek a resource that is limited. Plants compete for light, water, minerals and space. Animals compete for food, shelter, territory and mates.

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20
Q

Adaptations

A

They are features that give an organism a better chance of surviving in their habitat.

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21
Q

Dandelion adaptation

A

The dandelion has a long root which means it reaches below the short root of grass to get water, dandelions are able to compete for space because they are able to spread their seeds in the wind.

22
Q

Hedgehog adaptation

A

Hedgehogs have an excellent sense of smell to make them good at finding food. They have spikes to fight off predators and they also have a colour that makes the, camouflaged so predators can’t find them easily.

23
Q

Abiotic factors

A

They are non-living. E.g. weather (temperature, light intensity, rainfall, wind), soil and type of landscape.

24
Q

Biotic factors

A

They are living. E.g. competition, predation, symbiosis

25
Q

Predation

A

It controls the number of organisms in an ecosystem. E.g. ladybirds eat aphids, lions eat zebra.

26
Q

Symbiosis

A

It is a relationship between organisms of different species where at least on benefits. E.g. cleaner fish eat parasites out of the mouths of eels.

27
Q

Balance of nature

A

Over time, the number and types of species in an ecosystem reach a steady state known as the balance of nature

28
Q

Predator

A

An animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals(prey)

29
Q

Feeding relationship

A

The way energy and nutrients are passed from one organism to another.

30
Q

Biomass

A

The quantity of matter in an organism.

31
Q

Qualitative survey

A

A list of the different species in a habitat.

32
Q

Quadrat

A

A square frame made of metal, plastic or wood that is used during quantitative surveys of habitats.

33
Q

Identification key

A

Used to identify an unknown animal or plant during a habitat study.

34
Q

Quantitive survey

A

Numerical data about the species in a habitat.

35
Q

Frequency

A

The percentage chance of a particular species being present in a randomly chosen quadrat.

36
Q

Percentage cover

A

The proportion of ground covered by plants or animals. Percentage cover may be calculated during a quantitative survey of a habitat.

37
Q

Distribution

A

The area(s) in a habitat where a species is located.

38
Q

Line transect

A

A way of investigating the distribution of a plant species across a habitat. A rope is laid out across the habitat and marked with a knot at every metre. Each knot is checked to see if the species under survey has touched the line transect and the result is recorded.

39
Q

Abundance

A

The number of individuals in a population of a species in a habitat.

40
Q

Conservation

A

The protection, preservation and careful use of our natural resources

41
Q

Pollution

A

Adding unwanted waste to the environment causing damage to it. If poisonous waste builds up it can kill a plant or animal, if one organism is damaged the balance of nature can be damaged.

42
Q

Air pollution

A

Caused by smoke, dust and harmful gases- most of these come from cars, buses, factories and power stations.

43
Q

Fossil fuels

A

When they are burned they produce gases called carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, these dissolve in rainwater to form carbonic acid and sulphuric acid. This acid rain damages plants and buildings

44
Q

Soil pollution

A

Caused by pesticides, artificial fertilisers and acid rain

45
Q

Water pollution

A

Rivers, lakes and seas are polluted by fertilisers, sewage, oil and detergents. Fertilisers seep into rivers and cause too much plant growth, bacteria populations boom as they feed on dead plants and no oxygen is left for the fish

46
Q

Incineration

A

Burning waste, this can release dangerous gases into the atmosphere, difficulties with location nobody wants to live near an incinerator

47
Q

Landfill

A

Burying waste in the ground, damages soil, rivers and ground water, attracts rodents, disease causing, bad smell, difficulties as nobody wants to live near landfill sites

48
Q

3 R’s

A

Reduce, reuse and recycle to make sure that we do not damage our environment and that future generations will have a nice place to live

49
Q

Reduce

A

Eg. Use your own shopping bag, do not pick the items with extra packaging (use less extra packaging)

50
Q

Recycling

A

Paper, glass, some metals and plastic an be processed and reused, this reduces damage to the environment