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Environmental Science #1 > Life Processes In The Biosphere- Ecological Succession > Flashcards

Life Processes In The Biosphere- Ecological Succession Flashcards

(80 cards)

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1
Q

What is essential in all species life cycle to avoid extinction?

A

When movement to colonise new habitats takes place as changing conditions make the current location unsuitable for survival

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2
Q

How long can the period of survival be in an area?

A

It may last a long time or it may be very short

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3
Q

What is the most important thing species must do with in their lives?

A

Move, colonise, grow, breed then colonise and populate other areas

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4
Q

What happens when species moves to a new area?

A

It will change the habitats which may make it suitable for other species to colonise that could not have survived there before

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5
Q

What is the name for the sequence of events that occur when a new habitat is created?

A

The events that follow are called a SERE

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6
Q

Where is is it possible to see the full range of processes and stages in the changes to a habitat?

A

A newly created habitat which currently has no life

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7
Q

What are some examples of new habitats that wont have any life present?

A

A new pond
Bare rock- exposed by retreating glacier
A landslide
A volcanic eruption

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8
Q

What are all the types of SERE with their prefix?

A

Water- Hydrosere
Bare rock-Lithosere
Sand- Psammosere

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9
Q

What is the name for the changes that take place in a SERE?

A

Called ecological succession

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10
Q

What are the characteristics of the first species to colonise a new habitat?

A

Must be adapted to abiotic conditions which are very extreme then in a developed habitat

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11
Q

What are some of the more intense abiotic factors in a new habitat?

A

Less shelter from:
- strong winds
- brighter sunlight
- more extreme temperatures

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12
Q

What are the first species to colonise an area called?

A

Pioneer species

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13
Q

What do pioneer species do over time?

A

They change the habitat and makes it suitable for species that were not able to survive before

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14
Q

What happens to a newly created habitat when the pioneer species make it more suitable?

A

The new colonisers may out-compete the pioneer species which become less dominant and may die out eventually

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15
Q

What does the first colonisation after pioneer species do to the habitat?

A

The new colonisers also change the conditions making it more suitable and more species colonise

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16
Q

What happens as the changing abiotic factors become less extreme?

A

The adaptations needed for survival are increasingly based on biotic factors and inter-species relations

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17
Q

How is a climax community created?

A

After the cycle of colonisation, thriving, death continues a final community of specie develops which remain dominant as long as the climate does not change

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18
Q

What are the species controlled by in a climax community?

A

The climate

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19
Q

How do temperature extremes change during ecological succession?

A

High to low

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20
Q

How does water availability change during ecological succession?

A

Variable to reliable

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21
Q

How do light levels change during ecological succession?

A

High to lower (if shading occurs)

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22
Q

How does nutrient availability change during ecological succession?

A

Low to high

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23
Q

How does the rate of change change during ecological succession?

A

Rapid to slow

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24
Q

How does the main pollination method change during ecological succession?

A

Wind pollination to insect pollination

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25
How does the main seed dispersal method change during ecological succession?
Wind dispersal to animal dispersal
26
How does the importance of inter species relations change during ecological succession?
Low to high
27
How does biomass change during ecological succession?
Low to high
28
How does biodiversity change during ecological succession?
Low to high
29
What are critical determinants of a biome?
Rainfall Temperature
30
What is an example of rain and temperature determining a biome?
When water is available throughout the year a woodland will develop High temperature will create a tropical rainforest Moderate temperatures will develop a temperate deciduous forest Cooler temperatures will develop a conifer forest
31
What is a SERE?
A sequence of stages in ecological succession during which an uncolonised habitat develops into a climax community
32
What is the first thing to colonise a newly created area of fresh water?
Single celled algae from the soil
33
What brings spores and seeds of algae, diatoms, and plants?
Birds- herons or ducks Flying insects- water beetles or pond skaters
34
What rooting plants will first colonise the edges of the fresh water habitat?
Reeds Lilies Reedmace
35
Why are floating plants most likely the only plant currently in the open water?
The open water may be too deep for plants so floating plants live there
36
What happens as the plants grow and die in the fresh water habitat?
The water gradually fills with DOM as well as soil and sediments carried in forms he surrounding area
37
What happens as the water becomes shallower in a fresh water habitat?
Conditions continually change until rooted plants can survive
38
What is the name for plants with their leaves above the water?
Emergent plants
39
What happens when emergent plants start growing?
They shade the submerged plants which gradually die out
40
What happens as sediments fill the fresh water habitat?
The water recedes, aquatic species progressively disappear
41
What happens when enough soil accumulates in the fresh water habitat?
It develops to the extent that it can support the weight of much bigger plants, trees that can survive water logged soil
42
What trees can survive water logged soil?
Willow Alder
43
What happens as the soil becomes drier? (Hydrosere)
Trees such as oak can colonise
44
How can the soil become drier? (Hydrosere)
Transpiration by trees More sediment accumulates
45
What happens when oak colonises an area?
Larger trees create a denser canopy providing shade which inhibits the growth of smaller plants
46
What happens after large trees have stated colonising the habitat?
Will become dominated by larger trees with other plants and animals surviving under them
47
What is a lithosere?
The development of species on bare rock created by a cliff fall, glacial retreat or volcanic eruption
48
What are the initial abiotic factors like in a lithosere?
Very harsh and unsuitable for most organisms
49
What are the abiotic conditions in an early lithosere?
Temperatures are extreme Water availability is severely limited There is no soil
50
What are the first species to colonise bare rock?
Simple autotrophs- lichens and algae
51
What do autotrophs do in the habitat?
Break down rock and lead to an accumulation of DOM and rock
52
What is next to colonise bare rock after autotrophs?
Mosses
53
What do mosses do to bare rock?
Thy break down the rock and create a very thin layer of soil
54
What colonises the lithosere after mosses?
Grasses and ferns
55
What happens to abiotic factors in the lithosere as more soil layers form and plants get bigger?
The abiotic factors become less extreme
56
What are some examples of what abiotic factors are like after some development in the lithosere?
Never as: - warm or cold - wet or dry Before development
57
How do seedlings of less hardy plants survive?
They can survive under the shade of larger plants
58
What can happen when pollinating insects become established? (Lithosere)
Flowering plants colonise and survive as pollination takes place
59
What are edaphic factors?
Soil factors
60
What happens when edaphic factors are suitable?
Trees can colonise
61
What are the first trees that usually colonise the lithosere?
Those with wind blown seeds such as birch
62
What trees will colonise later into development? (Lithosere)
Those that are dispersed by animals such as beech and oak trees
63
At what point are the Hydrosere and lithosere similar?
In the later stages of development as they are controlled by the climate of the region
64
What is Psammosere?
The ecological succession that starts on sand
65
Why is it hard for habitat development in sand?
Nutrients are not readily available Drainage is rapid so water supplies are poor Moving sand makes it difficult for plants to establish a good root hold without being covered and killed
66
What happens when plants succeed at colonising sand?
The sand is stabilised Nutrient supplies increase Organic matter builds up water becomes more available
67
What is a plagioclimax?
When human activity deflects the climax community regularly so the natural climax community does not have time to reform and a new plagioclimax community develops
68
What sort of habitats are plagioclimax?
Those that don’t seem to change Grassland Lowland heathland Moorland
69
How is conservation os plagioclimax communities done in the UK?
Through the maintenance of the traditional activities that created them
70
How are lowland heathland managed? (Plagioclimax)
Grazing or burning
71
How are hay meadows managed? (PC)
Mowing
72
How are wet meadows managed? (PC)
Grazing
73
How is Upland Moorland managed? (PC)
Grazing or burning
74
How is arable field managed? (PC)
Ploughing
75
How is garden lawn managed? (PC)
Mowing
76
How is coppiced woodland managed? (PC)
Felling at intervals of 8 to 20 years
77
How are reedbeds managed? (PC)
Mowing or cutting
78
What happens if humans activities stop in a PC community?
Secondary succession will eventually re-establish the climax community
79
What is secondary succession?
When a human activity (Burning) takes place it might recreate or restart conditions suitable for previous species to colonise and the cycle of succession will start from there
80
Why is secondary succession faster than primary succession?
The soil does not have to develop an many seeds will already be present so there are fewer delays caused by time taken for species to colonise

Environmental Science #1 (90 decks)

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