Ecosystems Flashcards
(24 cards)
What do living organisms need to do to survive and reproduce?
Living organisms are constantly interacting with other organisms and the environment.
What is the environment?
The sum total of the biological, physical, and chemical conditions surrounding an organism.
What is an ecosystem?
A particular area in which living (biotic) components interact with each other and with non-living (abiotic) components.
How large can an ecosystem be?
An ecosystem can be as large as a giant rainforest or as small as a drop of water from a fish pond.
What do living organisms need to do to survive and reproduce?
Living organisms are constantly interacting with other organisms and the environment.
What is the environment?
The sum total of the biological, physical, and chemical conditions surrounding an organism.
What is an ecosystem?
A particular area in which living (biotic) components interact with each other and with non-living (abiotic) components.
How large can an ecosystem be?
An ecosystem can be as large as a giant rainforest or as small as a drop of water from a fish pond.
What is the study of ecosystems known as?
The study of ecosystems is known as ecology.
What are the two main components of an ecosystem?
An ecosystem consists of two main components: abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living).
What does the abiotic component include?
The abiotic component includes light, temperature, water, wind, and atmospheric gases.
What are physiographic factors?
Physiographic factors refer to aspects such as slope and aspect (direction).
What does aspect refer to in ecology?
Aspect refers to the position of an area in relation to the sun.
How does the slope affect vegetation in South Africa?
In South Africa, north-facing slopes receive more direct sunlight than south-facing slopes, leading to warmer, drier conditions where plants thrive.
What type of plants thrive on south-facing slopes?
South-facing slopes are cooler and wetter, where shade plants, e.g., ferns, thrive.
How does slope affect water run-off?
A mountain’s slope determines the rate of water run-off; a steep slope has faster run-off than a gradual slope.
What are the effects of steep slopes on soil?
Soil on a steep slope is usually shallow and infertile.
What are edaphic factors?
Edaphic factors refer to soil characteristics, including type of soil and soil texture.
How does height above sea level affect weather conditions?
Areas high above sea level experience extreme weather conditions, such as strong winds and snow.
What are the three main types of soil?
The three main types of soil are clay, loam, and sand.
What does soil texture refer to?
Soil texture refers to how fine or coarse the soil is.
What are the characteristics of clay soil?
Clay consists of tiny soil particles.
What are the characteristics of loam soil?
Loam consists of slightly bigger particles than clay.
What are the characteristics of sandy soil?
Sandy soil is coarser and consists of large particles.
