SB9

Question 1

What are abiotic factors?

Answer 1

Non living elements (weather, soil)

Question 2

Biotic factors?

Answer 2

Living elements (plants animals etc)

Question 3

What is a biosphere

Answer 3

All the parts of earth that supports life

Question 4

Meaning of autotrophic?

Answer 4

Organisms that make their own food

Question 5

What is ecology?

Answer 5

The study of the interactions between living organisms
and their biotic and abiotic
environments.

Question 6

Environment?

Answer 6

Surroundings of an organism that affects its life and development

Question 7

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 7

All the communities that live in an area with abiotic factors present in the environment.

Question 8

Structure of carnivore types

Answer 8

Primary carnivores (feed on herbivores)

Secondary carnivores(feed on primary carnivores)

Tertiary carnivores(feed on secondary carnivores)

Question 9

What are decomposers?

Answer 9

Heterotrophs; recycle microscopic bits; dead organic matter into inorganic materials for plants

Question 10

What are trophic levels?

Answer 10

Different feeding levels of organisms in an ecosystem

Question 11

What is biomass

Answer 11

The total amount of organic material present in a trophic level

Question 12

What does biomass in a trophic level signify?

Answer 12

The amount of energy in the form of food available to the next trophic level

Question 13

Why does the amount of available energy in food chains decrease quickly?

Answer 13

90% of food chain’s energy lost at each trophic level.

Hence food chains usually have 5 or less links

Question 14

How does the pyramid of biomass get its shape?

Answer 14

Only energy used to make biomass remains available to the next level.

At each trophic level; energy is transferred to surroundings

Less energy available; less biomass produced

Question 15

How much energy is used to make biomass for the next trophic level?

Answer 15

Only 10% of the energy entering a trophic level forms biomass in the next level.

Question 16

What is a food chain

Answer 16

Series of organisms that transfer food; between trophic levels; using one species at each level

Question 17

Purpose of food webs

Answer 17

Accurately show the network of food chains representing the feeding relationships between organisms in an ecosystem

At different trophic levels organisms feed on more than one type of organism

Question 18

What is competition

Answer 18

When two or more organisms of the same or different species compete to use the same limited resources

Question 19

What is parasitism

Answer 19

An organism that lives in or on a host and feeds on it without killing it immediately

Question 20

Mutualism

Answer 20

A cooperative partnership between two different species; both benefit

Question 21

Commensalism

Answer 21

Relationship between two different species where only one benefits and the other remains unharmed.

Question 22

What is coevolution?

Answer 22

When two or more different species evolve in response to each other

Question 23

What is biological magnification

Answer 23

The concentration of pollutants in organisms increase in higher trophic levels; accumulation of pollutants in fatty tissue of organism.

Organism’s body processes affected; possibly reproductive abilities

Question 24

What is an ecological pyramid

Answer 24

A graphical representation designed to show biomass or bio-productivity at each trophic level in a given ecosystem

Question 25

Three types of ecological pyramids

Answer 25

Pyramid of Biomass Pyramid of Number Pyramid of energy

Question 26

Pyramid of number?

Answer 26

Graphical representation of number of organisms in the food chain. (can be inverted or upright)

Question 27

Pyramid of biomass?

Answer 27

Graphical representation that depicts biomass existent per unit area in the different trophic levels of an ecosystem.

Question 28

Pyramid of energy?

Answer 28

Graphical model of energy flow in a community (Always upright; second law of thermodynamics; as energy transferred between stores, more and more is wasted)

Question 29

Advantages of ecological pyramid

Answer 29

Easy to understand Gives overall idea of energy transfer between trophic levels

Question 30

Disadvantages of ecological pyramids

Answer 30

Assumes a simple food chain; something that rarely exists in nature Does not take into account if a species belongs to 2 or more trophic levels

Question 31

What are biotic interactions

Answer 31

The relationship between organisms living in close association with each other

Question 32

What is the green house effect?

Answer 32

Energy from sun; short wavelengths; penetrate earth's atmosphere; surface of earth warmed by absorbing energy; earth radiates heat energy back into space; proportion absorbed by Earth's atmosphere

Question 32

How does lichen indicate air quality

Answer 32

Differing amts of lichen indicate levels of sulfur dioxide pollution (tolerant)

Question 33

How does blackspot fungus indicate air quality

Answer 33

If there is no blackspot fungus on rose, air is highly polluted by sulfur dioxide (not tolerant)

Question 34

What is an indicator species

Answer 34

A species whose presence, absence or abundance indicates a certain environment condition, habitat or community

Question 35

What species's indicates polluted water?

Answer 35

Bloodworms and sludgeworm (high population; highly polluted)

Question 36

Indicator species for clean water

Answer 36

High population of stonefly, freshwater shrimp and dragonfly

Question 37

Effect of deforestation on water cycle

Answer 37

Presence of trees; much transpiration Trees cut down; water movement stopped

Question 38

How does deforestation cause leaching of nutrients

Answer 38

Removal of trees exposes soil to rain; nutrients washed from soil into waterways; eutrophication

Question 39

How does deforestation cause soil erosion

Answer 39

Soil is physically removed and washed down streams forming silt which blocks waterways

Question 40

What effect does photosynthesis have on the atmosphere.

Answer 40

Photosynthesis in leaves of trees; 02 and C02 balance When trees cut down; balance disrupted

Question 41

What is monoculture? (agricultural process)

Answer 41

Growing one variety of plant; easy maintenance of conditions; all crops ready for harvest at same time

Question 42

Disadvantages of monoculture

Answer 42

single crop affected by disease; spreads to others less biodiversity; soil is depleted of certain nutrients more than the others

Question 43

What is polyculture?

Answer 43

Growing multiple varieties of crops in the same space; involves crop rotation

Question 44

What is crop rotation?

Answer 44

growing different types of crops in a specific sequence

Question 45

Why do crop rotations include a legume?

Answer 45

Legumes have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria.

Question 46

What may crop rotation be mixed with?

Answer 46

Grazing; animals allowed to graze release manure; nutrients; soil fertilized

Question 47

Benefits of crop rotation

Answer 47

The same nutrient in soil isn't constantly depleted Farmers can grow more than one successful crop Number of pests attacking each crop; less

Question 48

Disadvantages of crop rotation

Answer 48

Reduce economic gain; farmer alternating between high and low value crop Different machines required; expensive

Question 49

Organic farming?

Answer 49

System that avoids the use of synthetic inputs (fertilizers, pesticides,hormones)