Science unit 3.5

Question 1

*species richness

Answer 1

Species richness is the number of species in an area (used to measure biodiversity)

Question 2

What are the 5 good things ecosystems give us?

Answer 2

Our ecosystem gives us food, materials, medicine, textiles, fuel, shelter, and so much more.

Question 3

*Equilibrium

Answer 3

state of an ecosystem with relatively constant condition

Question 4

*What is biodiversity? Why is it important?

Answer 4

Biodiversity is the variety of life in an ecosystem. This is important because without a wide range of animals, plants, ect. we cannot have the healthy ecosystems that we heavily rely on to provide us with our basic necessities like air and food.

Question 5

What causes habitat loss?

Answer 5

loss of terrestrial ecosystems-making farmlands and urban developments(urban sprawl, clearing forests for farmland, and transportation networks). Loss of wetlands-building dams, draining wetlands. Loss of aquatic ecosystems, dredging, overfishing.

Question 6

How do humans affect aquatic ecosystems?

Answer 6

Humans affect aquatic ecosystems by dredging and overfishing

Question 7

*oil spills

Answer 7

Oil spills are when an accident can happen to oil tankers sailing through the ocean and the oil in it will leak into the ocean which will pollute the water.

Question 8

How do oil spills affect the environment?

Answer 8

affecting sea life by causing internal damage when consumed or when it coats the animal it can affect their ability to insulate which makes them die from the cold. Another way is that oil is very hard to clean up so it will be very costly and take a long time which will give it the ability to travel through the ocean.

Question 9

What causes fragmentation?

Answer 9

A factor that causes fragmentation is dividing regions into smaller areas, or isolating ecosystems.

Question 10

*non-native species?

Answer 10

a species that was brought over from another place and did not originate from the place it was brought to.

Question 11

• invasive species

Answer 11

a non-native species whose intentional or accidental introduction negatively impacts the natural environment

Question 12

*What are 3 methods used to control invasive species?

Answer 12

-chemical controls(pesticides)- helps with reducing crop damage.
-Mechanical control(build barriers, cut down plants, hunt or trap animals)-physical barriers or removal.
-Biological control(natural predators)- intentionally introducing a species that will control the invasive one.

Question 13

*What are the 5 levels of extinction?

Answer 13

-Extinct-No Longer alive anywhere in the world
-Extirpated- no longer exists in a specific area, but alive elsewhere
-Endangered- imminent danger or being extirpated or going extinct
-Threatened- likely to become endangered if factors reducing its survival are not changed
-Special Concerns- may become threatened is a combination of factors do not improve

Question 14

What causes acid rain? Why is it bad?

Answer 14

caused by certain chemicals (produced from industrial processes and from burning fossil fuels such as coal and gas) that mix with water vapours. This is bad because is effects aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as causing health problems and rusting metal vehicles and structures.

Question 15

*What are natural fertilizers?

Answer 15

plant nutrients that have been obtained from natural sources and have not been chemically altered by humans

Question 16

*What are synthetic fertilizers?

Answer 16

fertilizers that are manufactured using chemical processes.

Question 17

What are three problems caused by fertilizers?

Question 18

*What is bioamplification? Why is it worrisome?

Answer 18

Bioamplification is when the concentration of toxins as it moves up the food web. This is bad because toxins are stored in the fat and oil of an organism and they move up the food web. When it moves up it will make the toxins more concentrated.

Question 19

*What is bioaccumulation? Why is it worrisome?

Answer 19

Bioaccumulation is the process of toxins building up in an individual. This is bad because if the toxins are not broken down or eliminated with other body waste and the individuals continue to eat food contaminated with the toxins, it will collect in the body. These toxins are not easily excreted and if the toxins are long-lived, the concentration of them will increase much higher than in the environment.

Question 20

*What are non-target species?

Answer 20

species that are not to be intentionally killed by pesticides but are because of the use of a broad-spectrum pesticide.

Question 21

How are pesticides delivered?

Answer 21

Pesticides are often delivered through aerosols or sprays onto fields, forests and gardens.

Question 22

*What is leaching? How does it affect the ecosystem?

Answer 22

process by which nutrients are removed from soil as water passes through it. This affects the ecosystem by contaminating groundwater with nitrogen compounds and when it is used for drinking water it can cause serious health problems.

Question 23

Why are pores (spaces) in the soil important?

Answer 23

they are important because it allows water and nutrients to pass through the soil to reach roots and it provides oxygen to roots and organisms in the soil.

Question 24

*What are agroecosystems

Answer 24

Agroecosystems are natural communities modified by humans for agricultural processes. (eg. Farmlands).

Question 25

*What are natural ecosystems

Answer 25

Natural Ecosystems are ecosystems that are self-sustaining and don’t need any help from humans (eg. Forests).

Question 26

*What are the 3 alternative methods of farming practices?

Answer 26

-No-tillage farming- crop residue(stalks) is left of the field rather than plowed into the ground.
-Crop rotation- Crops grown on a rotating schedule in a field
-Crop selection-choosing crops that are well suited to the environment without needing fertilizers,drainage, or irrigation

Question 27

What’s the difference between urban and natural ecosystems?

Answer 27

urban ecosystems are not able to rely on the things they have around them, they have to import and build new things to try to live a sustainable life. Natural ecosystems are able to live off of the things that are around them and are in their ecosystem.

Question 28

Why is sustainability important?

Answer 28

for keeping up with human needs in the long term and to maintain an ecological balance.

Question 29

. How can we make cities greener?

Answer 29

using community composting programs to collect food and yard waste, use LEDs in traffic lights, Enhance and promote public transportation, ban non-essential use of pesticides, enhance green spaces within cities, and promote shopping locally.

Question 30

*primary succession

Answer 30

occurs on soil or bare rock where no life previously existed (i.e after volcanic eruption)

Question 31

s*econdary succession

Answer 31

succession in a partially disturbed ecosystem (i.e after a forest fire)

Question 32

*pollution

Answer 32

harmful/toxic materials released into the environment

Question 33

*pest

Answer 33

any plant, animal or organism that causes illness, harm or annoyance to humans

Question 34

What is the main factor that causes extinction? Human or natural?

Answer 34

Both human and natural factors contribute to extinction. Over millions of years some species become extinct due to asteroids or major volcanic eruptions. Though human contribute by over exploiting which has contributed to many species extinction over the years.

Question 35

What causes global warming

Answer 35

As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat which is warming the earth. Another factor is amount of pollution humans put into this earth

Question 36

What is needed for plant growth