Ecosystems

Question 1

What is population?

Answer 1

All organisms of ONE type in an area

Question 2

What is community?

Answer 2

All organisms of all types in an area

Question 3

What is a producer?

Answer 3

Any plant, as it produces its own energy from sunlight

Question 4

What is a consumer?

Answer 4

Any animal, as it must consume another organism to get energy

Question 5

What is a herbivore?

Answer 5

An animal that ONLY eats plants

Question 6

What is a carnivore?

Answer 6

An animal that only eats other animals

Question 7

What is an omnivore?

Answer 7

An animal that eats plants and meat

Question 8

Sources of error when measuring light intensity

Answer 8

Too few readings are taken.
The solar sensitive panel may
be shaded by the measurer’s
body.
The panel may not be
pointed upwards.

Question 9

Sources of error when measuring soil moisture/pH

Answer 9

Probe may not be clean.
Probe may not have been inserted to the same depth for each
measurement.

Question 10

Sources of error when using a quadrat

Answer 10

too few samples are taken.
quadrat not thrown randomly.

Question 11

sources of error when using pitfall traps

Answer 11

Numbers and types of organisms may not be representative as birds may eat organisms and some trapped organisms eat others.

Question 12

Abiotic factors

Answer 12

-temperature
-light intensity
-pH
-soil moisture

Question 13

Biotic factors

Answer 13

-predation
-competition
-grazing
-disease

Question 14

How the removal of organisms effects other organisms

Answer 14

Any and all food sources for the affected animal will increase in number due to lack of predation/grazing.
Any predators of the animal will decrease in number due to lack of food.
Any other animals eating the same food sources will increase in number due
to lack of competition.
Any other animals preyed upon by the affected animal’s predator will decrease in number due to increased predation.

Question 15

How is energy lost in a food chain/web ?

Answer 15

Heat, movement, undigested materials

Question 16

Pyramid of numbers

Answer 16

Each layer of the pyramid shows the total number of all organisms in the food chain at that level, always starting from the bottom up. This can lead to “Christmas Tree” pyramids in food chains starting with a tree or shrub.

Question 17

Pyramid of energy

Answer 17

Each layer in the pyramid shows the total energy content of all organisms in the food chain at that level, always starting from the bottom up. These diagrams always look like pyramids because energy is lost at every feeding level.

Question 18

Define the term niche

Answer 18

The role the organism plays in its community

Question 19

Niche aspects

Answer 19

1. Resources and nutrients required, such as light and food supply.
2. Interactions with other organisms in the community, such as predation and disease.
3. The range of environmental conditions tolerated, such as temperature and pH.

Question 20

What do animals compete for?

Answer 20

Food, water, breeding partners, shelter/territory

Question 21

What do plants compete for?

Answer 21

lights, water, nutrients, space to grow

Question 22

Interspecific competition

Answer 22

occurs between organisms of a DIFFERENT species

Question 23

intraspecific competition

Answer 23

occurs between organisms of the SAME species

Question 24

Define the term indicator species

Answer 24

Indicator species are species that indicate the level of pollution in an area.

Question 25

Indicator species examples

Answer 25

Lichens are a good example of indicator species for air pollution. The hairier the lichen, and the more species around, the cleaner the air.
Water invertebrates are a good example of indicator species for water pollution. Different types of invertebrates can tolerate different levels of pollution.