Ecology (P2) Flashcards
(22 cards)
Define:
Habitat
Population
Community
Abiotic factors
Biotic factors
Ecosystem
Habitat= where an organism lives
Population= all the organisms of a species living in the same habitat
Community= all the populations of different species all living in the same habitat
Abiotic factors= non-living factors of the environment e.g. temperature
Biotic factors= living factors of the environment e.g. food
Ecosystem= the interaction of abiotic and biotic parts of their environment
Give some examples of things plants compete for.
.Light
.Mineral ions in the soil
.Water
Give some examples of things animals compete for.
.Food
.Water
.Mates
Explain 2 examples of how abiotic factors can affect an ecosystem.
Decrease in light intensity, temperature or carbon dioxide can decrease amount of photosynthesis from plants. This could affect plant growth so animals have less to eat so population decreases.
Decrease in mineral content of soil could cause nutrient deficiencies. This could affect plant growth so animals have less to eat so population decreases.
Explain 2 ways biotic factors can affect an ecosystem.
New predator introduced decreases it’s prey’s population.
A species that eat the same food as another species can outcompete them so the other species’ population decreases.
What are the 3 types of adaptations?
Structural
Behavioural
Functional
What are structural adaptations? Give 3 animal examples.
To do with the body e.g. shape and colour
Whales have a thick layer of blubber and a low surface area to volume ratio to help retain heat.
Camels have a thin layer of fat and a high surface area to volume ratio to help them lose heat.
Arctic foxes have white fur to camouflage which allows them to hide from predators and sneak up on prey.
Give an animal example of a behavioural adaptation.
Swallows migrate to hotter climates during winter to avoid the problems of living in cold conditions.
What are functional adaptations? Give 2 animal examples.
To do with inside the body like metabolism and reproduction.
Desert animals minimalise water loss by sweating very little and produces small amounts of concentrated urine.
Some animals hibernate in winter. They lower their metabolism which conserves energy, so they don’t have to hunt when there’s not a lot of food around.
What are extremophiles?
Organisms (like bacteria) that can live in extreme conditions such as high temperature or high salt concentration or high pressure.
What is the first thing in a food chain? Define it.
Producer
=make their own food using energy from the sun e.g. green plants
Explain the method of using a quadrat.
1) Place a 1m² quadrat RANDOMLY on the ground (can do this by dividing area into a grid and use a random number generator to pick coordinates)
2) Count the organisms in the quadrat
3) Repeat steps 1-2 multiple times
4) Work out a mean number of organisms per
Explain the method of using transects.
1) Mark out a line in the area you want to study using a tape measure
2) Collect data by counting all the organism you’re interested in that touch the line
Give 3 environmental changes that affect the distribution of organism. Give an example for each.
.Water availability e.g. organism may travel as rainfall patterns change
.Temperature e.g. birds
. Composition of atmospheric gases e.g. some species of lichen can’t grow in areas where sulfur dioxide is given out by industrial processes
Explain the water cycle.
- Energy from the Sun makes water from the land and sea evaporate into water vapour. Water also evaporates from plants
- The warm water vapour rises
- When the water gets high up, it condenses into clouds
- Water falls from clouds as precipitation as fresh water on land for plants and animals
- Water drains back into the seas and the cycle repeats
Explain the carbon cycle
- CO² is removed from the atmosphere by green plants and algae during respiration
- When plants and algae respire, they release some carbon back into atmosphere as CO²
- Carbon moves through food chain when animals eat the plants and algae
- When animals respire, it releases some carbon as C0² back into the atmosphere
- When plants, animals and algae die, microorganisms feed on their remains and they respire and release CO²
- Animals also produce waste that is broken down by microorganisms
Explain how 4 factors affect the rate of decay.
Temperature- warm temperatures increase the rate that enzymes work to decompose things. But, if it gets too hot, the enzymes denature.
Oxygen availability- many decay microbes need oxygen to respire but some respire anaerobically.
Water availability- decay microbes need water to carry out biological processes.
Number of decay organisms- the more, the faster decomposition happens
What is compost?
Decomposed organic matter that is used as a natural fertiliser.
Explain how biogas is made.
Decay microbes decay biomass anaerobically (so that it produces methane which can be burned as a fuel).
Biogas generators need to be kept at a constant temperature to keep the microorganisms respiring.
What’s a drawback of biogas?
It can’t be stored as a liquid so it has to be used straight away.
Write the method for the decay practical.
1) Measure 5cm^3 of lipase solution and add to test tube labelled ‘lipase’
2) Measure out 5cm^3 of milk and add to another test tube
3) Add 5 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to milk test tube using a pipette
4) Measure out 7 cm^3 of sodium carbonate and add to milk test tube- it’s alkaline so should be pink
5) Leave both test tubes in a water bath at room temperature
6) Measure the milk test tube with a thermometer to check the liquids in the test tubes have become room temperature
7) Add 1cm^3 of lipase into the milk and start the stopwatch
8) When the solution turns whit, stop the stopwatch
9) Repeat the experiment with different temperatures
10) Calculate rate of decay
