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Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is ecology

A

The study of an organisms environment and the factors that determine their distribution and abundance in that environment

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2
Q

Ecosystem

A

A unit containing all of the organisms and their environment, interacting together in a given area

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3
Q

Habitat

A

The place where an organism lives

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4
Q

Population

A

A group of organisms of the same species living in a habitat

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5
Q

Community

A

All the populations of the different species living in a habitat

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6
Q

Producer (autotrophs)

A

An organism that makes its own organic nutrients, usually using energy from sunlight

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7
Q

Consumer (heterotrophs)

A

An organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms

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8
Q

Decomposed (heterotrophs)

A

An organism that gets its energy from dead or waste organic matter

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9
Q

Food chain

A

A chart showing the flow of energy from one organism to the next beginning with a producer

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10
Q

Tropic levels

A

The position of an organism in a good chain or food web or the number of energy transfers from the energy sources

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11
Q

Food web

A

A network of interconnected food chains showing the energy flow through part of an ecosystem

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12
Q

Tropic level 1

A

Producer

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13
Q

Tropic level 2

A

Herbivore (primary consumer)

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14
Q

Tropic level 3

A

Carnivore (secondary consumers)

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15
Q

Tropic level 4

A

Carnivore (tertiary consumers)

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16
Q

What are quadrants used in?

A

Sampling plants - they mark off the exact area so that the plants in that area can be identified and counted

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17
Q

What are quadrants made of?

A

Metal, wood plastic

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18
Q

Using a quadrat:

A

1) grid area for sampling
2) quadrat should be placed randomly within the grid
3) count number of organisms inside the quadrat
4) use several quadrat samples
5) use sample to calculate numbers in total areas

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19
Q

What do you do for motile organisms with quadrats?

A

Aerial sampling
Counting from an aircraft
Multiplying the average number counted in the quadrats by the total area

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20
Q

How to make using quadrats more reliable for motile organisms

A

Repeat sampling over a number of years
Under similar conditions
Same time of year
Allow for animals not seen

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21
Q

Name 3 ways which ecosystem’s interact with each other

A

Feeding amount organism s
Competition
Interactions between organisms and the environment

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22
Q

Biotic Factors - which influence the numbers and distribution of organisms in an ecosystem

A 
Availability of food + competition for food resources 
Parasitism
Predation 
Disease
Presence of pollinating insects
Availability of nest sites
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23
Q

Abiotic factors

A

Climate (light intensity, water availability)
Hours of daylight
Salinity (salt content)
Pollution
Soil conditions (clay no tent, nitrate level, particle size, water content, pH)

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24
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

The term refers to the variety of life on earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems

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25
Order of levels
Producer - primary consumer - secondary - top carnivore
26
What do pyramids of numbers do?
Visualises/ explains the numbers in the food chain/web
27
What happens to the energy as you go up the levels in a pyramid of numbers?
Energy is lost to the surroundings
28
What is biomass
Biomass is the total dry mass of one animal/plant species Pyramids of biomass - bars get narrower towards the top
29
Why is it difficult to get valid data for a pyramid of biomass
- measuring dry biomass means that all the water has to be removed - an organism Amy belong to more than one tropic level, so it cannot easily be represented by one bar
30
Pyramids of energy
Energy decreases going up | Based on per year/ per area
31
Example : | When a rabbit eats grass, not all of the materials in the grass end up as rabbit, why are there losses
Some parts of the grass aren’t eaten Some parts are not digested and so are not absorbed Some of the materials absorbed form excretory products Many of the materials are repaired to realise energy with the loss of CO2 and water
32
Why is only 10% of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next
90% is lost through heat, undigested material, respiration to release energy for life processes, not eaten food, excretion
33
Give one way of transferring energy between organisms
Feeding
34
Give the process of flow of energy through ecosystems
1) photosynthesis fixes sunlight energy into chemicals (glucose) 2) respiration releases energy from organic compounds 3) if energy released is used to make new cells, then energy remains fixed in molecules 4) if energy released is used for other processes - escape as heat
35
Which molecules contain carbon?
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, DNA
36
Name the 5 important processes in cycling carbon
``` Photosynthesis Feeding and assimilation Respiration Fossilisation Combustion ```
37
What does feeding and assimilation do in cycling carbon
Pass carbon atoms already in organic compounds along food chains
38
What does respiration do in cycling carbon
Produces inroganic CO from organic compounds as they are broken down to release energy
39
What does photosynthesis do in cycling carbon
Fixes carbon atoms from CO2 into organic compounds
40
What is nitrogen present in
Proteins, amino acids, most vitamins and DNA
41
Name the key processes in this cycle
Feeding and assimilation Decomposition Nitrification
42
What does decomposition do in the nitrogen cycle
Decomposition by fungi and bacteria produces ammonia from the nitrogen in compounds like proteins and DNA
43
What does denitrifying bacteria do
Use nitrates as an energy source and convert them into nitrogen gas - reduces the amount of nitrate in the soil
44
What do nitrogen fixing bacteria in root nodules do
Make ammonia, this is converted by the plant into amino acids
45
What is produced when fossil fuels burn
Selfie dioxide and carbon monoxide
46
What is CO
Carbon monoxide - Colourless, odourless and tasteless - Passes into red blood cells after breaking it in - binds more strongly to haemoglobin than oxygen does
47
What is SO2
Sulfur dioxide - sharp, choking smells - when sulfur dioxide dissolved in water droplets in clouds it causes acid rain
48
What does acid rain do
Damages waxy layer of tree leaves | Makes it more difficult for trees to absorb minerals
49
What does the acidification of lakes do
Causes death of bacteria and algae; death of fish and amphibian eggs; change in ecosystems)
50
What does acidification of soil do?
Leaching of some ions in lakes, kills fish, root hairs less effective at absorbing minerals so tree growth is slowed)
51
What are the natural causes of air pollution
Volcanic eruptions and lightning Water vapour from clouds Rain
52
What are the human causes of air pollution
Burning fossil fuels
53
List the key greenhouse gases
Water vapour, CO2, nitrous oxide, methane, CFCs
54
Why is there more CO2 in the atmosphere
Increased combustion of fossil fuels | Increased deforestation
55
Name a few of the consequences of global warming
Melting polar ice caps - sea level es would rise Change in the major ocean currents - warmer waters flow into previously cooler areas Change in global rainfall patterns - could result with a rise in temp
56
What happens if there is a rise in temperature
More evaporation from surface of the sea More water vapour in atmosphere Long term climate change
57
What causes water pollution
The discharge of harmful substances into rivers, lakes and seas
58
What happens if untreated sewage gets into rivers
Microorganisms decompose it, this means that due to the oxygen from the water usually being used for aerobic respiration, there is less oxygen dissolved in water Fish and other aquatic creatures will die
59
What is the sequence of events do eutrophication
``` Increase in mineral ions Algal bloom Death of algae Decomposition by aerobic bacteria Bacteria use up oxygen Fish die and ```
60
Where do excess mineral come from
Sewage and artificial nitrate/phosphate fertiliser
61
What are the problems with fertilisers
When they are washed off the land by rainwater into rivers - leaching Causes an increase in the levels of minerals
62
What is the full process of eutrophication
Sewage/fertiliser run off increases the nutrient concentration of the water Extra nutrients cause increased growth of algae Algal bloom covers the waters surface killing any plants below surface Algae also die as nutrients run out Aerobic respiration decompose the dead plants Bacteria use up oxygen for respiration Fish die from lack of oxygen
63
What happens if their is reduced soil quality
No trees/plants to return minerals to the soil when they die | Crops planted in deforested areas rapidly use up minerals from soil
64
What happens if erosion occurs
Soil is exposed due to lack of tree cover | Soil washed into rivers - rising water levels and flooding lowland areas
65
What is global warming
Increase in the mean temperature of the earth
66
What is a greenhouse gas
A gas that absorbs infrared radiation from the sun
67
Nitrous oxides
Released from fertilise production | Released in treatment of domestic waste water
68
Methane
From rice paddy fields | Cattle farming
69
CFCs
Aerosol sprays

Biology (20 decks)

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