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UNIT A Chapter 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

TRUE OR FALSE:

The environment is all the living things that exist on Earth and how they interact with each other.

A

FALSE.
The environment is both the living and non living things, and how they interact with each other, not just the living things.

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2
Q

What is it called when living organisms can continue to interact and reproduce indefinitely?

A

Sustainability.

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3
Q

Biodiversity is the number of __________ ___________ of organisms in an area.

A

Biodiversity is the number of different types of organisms in an area.

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4
Q

What levels of biodiversity are associated with healthy, sustainable environments?

A

High levels of biodiversity, because this means that many different species of organisms are present in the environment.

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5
Q

Systems work to accomplish a task. Explain how this works.

A

Systems have individual parts that interact with each other to complete whatever task they have set out to accomplish.

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6
Q

Give an example of a system in the natural world and an example of a mechanical system.

A

*ANSWERS MAY VARY
Natural System: A bee hive; bees work together as individual parts to build a hive, to use as shelter and to store nectar.

Mechanical System: A bicycle; it accomplishes the task of transportation, and requires each of its individual parts to do so.

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7
Q

What does it mean to take a holistic approach?

A

Taking a holistic approach means emphasizing the whole system, rather than focusing on the individual parts. For example, taking a holistic approach when examining a bike would mean looking at its purpose and how it works, rather than looking at each individual part and seeing its function and purpose.

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8
Q

When ecologists examine ecosystems, what approach do they take?

A

Ecologists must examine the individual parts of ecosystems as well as the overall system (holistic approach.)

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9
Q

Define the term ‘stewardship’.

A

Stewardship means acting in a way that involves taking personal responsibility for the management and care of something.

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10
Q

TRUE OR FALSE:

The Aboriginals believe that we should view the environment through its individual parts.

A

FALSE.
The Aboriginals believe in taking the holistic approach when looking at the environment, because it results in deep respect for the Earth and shows all of its interactions.

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11
Q

What is ecology the study of?

A

Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with each other as well as with their environment.

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12
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

An ecosystem is a complex, self-regulating system in which living things interact with each other and with non-living things.

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13
Q

Ecosystems are described as ‘self-regulating’. What does this mean?

A

This means that the interactions within an ecosystem keep it healthy and sustainable.

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14
Q

MATCH THE EXAMPLES TO THE FACTOR:
__ Abiotic
__ Biotic

(a) fungi, animals, plants
(b) rocks, water, air temperature

A

(b) Abiotic

(a) Biotic

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15
Q

Explain what a biotic factor is, and provide five examples.

A

A biotic factor is any organism in an ecosystem. Examples vary, but some include: sunflower, mushroom, rabbit.

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16
Q

There are two types of abiotic factors in ecosystems. What are they?

A
  1. Physical things, such as rocks, air and water.

2. Things that can be measured, like salt concentration in sea water, air temperature, and hours of daylight.

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17
Q

What is a group of similar organisms in an ecosystem called?

A

A species.

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18
Q

TRUE OR FALSE:

Members of a species can reproduce with members of other species.

A

FALSE. They can only reproduce with members of their own species.

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19
Q

What is a population?

A

A population is a group of members of the same species that live in the same area.

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20
Q

What is the physical environment of an organism called?

A

A habitat.

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21
Q

TRUE OR FALSE:

All grey squirrels are part of of the same species, which means that they are all part of the same population.

A

FALSE. Just because they’re all part of the same species, does not mean that they are part of the same population. For example, one group may live in a park, the other in a valley, and the other in a pine forest, which means you have three different populations.

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22
Q

What is the term given to populations of different species that live and interact in an area?

A

A community.

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23
Q

What is a specie’s niche?

A

A specie’s niche is all of its interactions with its ecosystem.

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24
Q

TRUE OR FALSE:

Ecosystems do not vary in size.

A

FALSE. Ecosystems vary greatly in size. Even something as small as a water drop can be considered an ecosystem. All that matters is that it is a complete system, that involves interactions with biotic and abiotic factors.

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25
Can ecosystems exist within larger ecosystems?
Yes. For example, a stream can be considered an ecosystem all on its own, but if it runs through a forest, it is also a part of the forest ecosystem because it interacts with the plants and animals and abiotic factors of the forest.
26
What is a biome?
A biome is a large geographical region that contains similar ecosystems.
27
List some ways that biomes are defined/classified.
They can be classified based on what plants grow in them (terrestrial biomes), average temperatures, and rainfall amounts.
28
What is another name for land biomes, and how many of them are there in Canada?
Land biomes can also be known as terrestrial biomes. There are five in Canada.
29
How are Canada's terrestrial biomes defined?
Canada's terrestrial biomes are defined by their dominant vegetation.
30
What terrestrial biome does most of Southern Ontario belong to, and what is it characterized by?
Most of South Ontario is part of the deciduous forest biome, which has trees that lose their leaves in the fall, like maple and oak trees.
31
What is another name for the boreal forest biome, what is its dominant vegetation, and where is it found in Canada?
Another name for the boreal forest biome is the taiga biome. It has trees that have cones and needles, such as spruce and fir trees. Most of northern Ontario belongs to this biome.
32
What biome is known for having very little vegetation (only small shrubs, mosses and lichens)? Where is this biome found in Ontario?
The tundra biome is known for being almost barren, and is found along Ontario's northern coastline on Hudson's Bay to James Bay.
33
If you were to travel to the prairie provinces (more specifically, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and a small part of Alberta), what biome would you be in? Describe it's vegetation.
You would be in the grasslands terrestrial biome. It has very few trees, but as the name implies, it contains various types of grasses and shrubs.
34
In which terrestrial biome in Canada would you find Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees? What part of Canada would you be in?
You would be in the temperate coniferous forest biome, which you can find in most of western British Columbia. It has different come- or needle-bearing trees than a boreal forest.
35
What are the two categories of aquatic (or water-based) biomes?
Marine and freshwater.
36
``` MATCHING: Where would you find each aquatic biome? __Marine __Freshwater (a) Great Lakes, St. Lawrence (b) along Hudson Bay and James Bay ```
(b) Marine | (a) Freshwater
37
Which aquatic biome has a high salt content, and includes coral reefs, intertidal zones, and open oceans?
Marine biomes.
38
Ecosystems form biomes, which form a planetary system known as the _____________.
Biomes form the biosphere.
39
The biosphere is the part of the Earth where life exists, including water, _______ and ______.
The biosphere is the part of the Earth where life exists, including water, air and land.
40
TRUE OR FALSE: | The biosphere is very thin compared to the rest of the Earth.
TRUE.
41
What are the main three interacting components that make up the biosphere?
The atmosphere, the lithosphere and the hydrosphere.
42
What is the atmosphere, and how is it crucial for life on Earth?
The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth. Water vapor and CO2 absorb sunlight and provide the planet with the heat it needs to make life possible, it contains oxygen, which many organisms need to survive, and ozone protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
43
The _________ is Earth's solid outer layer. It includes the soil, plants, animals and fungi.
The lithosphere.
44
How far does the lithosphere extend from the surface? What layers of the Earth does it include?
The lithosphere extends 100km down from the surface. It includes the rigid crust and the upper mantle.
45
Why do all living organisms depend on the hydrosphere?
Because the hydrosphere is all of the water on Earth, and all organisms need water to survive.
46
How much of the water on the Earth is freshwater, and how much is salt water?
97% is saltwater, while only 3% is freshwater.
47
Which ecosystem would have a better biodiversity? An artificial or natural one?
A natural ecosystem.
48
Where do organisms obtain nutrients, and what do they need them for?
Organisms obtain nutrients from food, and they need them to build and repair the cells of their bodies.
49
How does energy usually enter and leave the environment?
It enters through sunlight and leaves through heat.
50
Carbohydrates, fats and oils, proteins, minerals and vitamins are all examples of ___________.
Nutrients.
51
What are nutrients made up of? (Explain)
Nutrients are made up of elements, which are pure substances that can not be broken down into simpler substances.
52
What is a nutrient cycle, and among which types of factors do they occur in ecosystems?
A nutrient cycle is the process of moving a nutrient back and forth. Nutrient cycles occur in both biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems. For example, when an animal exhales carbon dioxide, it becomes part of the atmosphere, which is abiotic.
53
Do nutrients cycle back and forth between biotic and abiotic parts of ecosystems slowly or quickly?
Their speed varies. Some nutrient cycles are fast, while others take an extremely long time.
54
What is a reservoir, in terms of nutrient cycles, and in what three common nutrient cycles are reservoirs present?
A reservoir is any place where matter accumulates. Water, nitrogen, and carbon cycles all have reservoirs.
55
TRUE OR FALSE: | The water cycle has an end, and it extends through the entire hydrosphere.
FALSE. The water cycle is continuous and does not have an end, and it actually extends throughout the whole biosphere because of evaporation, condensation and freezing.
56
Describe the process of the water cycle.
Sunlight heats surface of water, which evaporates into atmosphere, and turns into water vapor. It condenses and forms clouds, and falls in the form of precipitation. When it falls on ground, it tends to run off into nearby streams (called run off water). Some water may seep into ground, and maybe even underwater lakes. Plants absorb water, and release it back to atmosphere through transpiration.
57
# Define the following two terms: (a) run off water | (b) aquifer
(a) Water that falls to the ground as precipitation and runs off into nearby streams or rivers. (b) Large underground lakes.
58
Why is the nitrogen cycle crucial?
All organisms need nitrogen to make proteins, but most organisms can not use nitrogen directly.
59
Nitrogen makes up __% of our atmosphere.
78%
60
Most organisms can not use nitrogen directly, so what substance do many of them obtain nitrogen from?
Many organisms obtain nitrogen from ammonia.
61
What is nitrogen fixation, and what are the only two possible processes to achieve this?
Nitrogen fixation is the conversion of nitrogen to ammonia. The only two natural processes that can do this are nitrogen-fixing bacteria and lightning, but lightning only accounts for 1% of the world's nitrogen fixation.
62
What types of plants have nitrogen-fixing bacteria?
Plants called legumes (peas, alfalfa, etc.) have nodules in their roots that contain this type of bacteria. It provides nitrogen for the plant directly.
63
Can most plants use ammonia to obtain nitrogen?
No.
64
Plants that can not use the ammonia that nitrogen-fixing bacteria produce rely on __________ bacteria.
They rely on nitrifying bacteria.
65
What does nitrifying bacteria do?
Nitrifying bacteria converts ammonia into nitrites and then nitrates, which plants absorb through their roots.
66
How do animals obtain nitrogen?
They consume other plants or animals.
67
What happens when animals digest proteins?
They produce ammonia (by-product), which is toxic to them, so it is released in their animal waste.
68
How does animal waste play a key role in the nitrogen cycle?
The ammonia in the animal waste is broken down by bacteria and fungi, and releases into the soil. Dead organisms are also broken down, and nitrates and nitrites are released. These are absorbed by the plants, and the cycle begins again.
69
What is the role of denitrifying bacteria in the carbon cycle?
Denitrifying bacteria in the soil converts nitrates back into nitrogen gas, which returns to the atmosphere.
70
TRUE OR FALSE: 1. Plants do not need carbon to grow. 2. The world's forests are biotic reservoirs of carbon.
1. FALSE. All plants need carbon to grow. | 2. TRUE.
71
A huge _________ ___________ sits underground locked up in deposits of coal.
A huge carbon reservoir sits underground locked up in deposits of coal.
72
Deposits of coal are usually made up of which three things?
Almost pure carbon, oil, and natural gas (mostly carbon combined with hydrogen)
73
What were the coal deposits involved in the carbon cycle formed from?
These deposits were formed from the remains of huge forests that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.
74
Apart from the coal deposits, what is the other major carbon reservoir found on Earth? Is it biotic or abiotic?
The other carbon reservoir on Earth are the oceans, which are abiotic.
75
What happens to carbon in the oceans?
Carbon dioxide is dissolved in the water, and marine organisms use the carbon from this dissolved carbon dioxide to build their tissues.
76
What are the two main processes that move carbon throughout the various carbon reservoirs?
The two main processes that transport carbon through the different carbon reservoirs are photosynthesis and respiration.
77
What is the ultimate source of energy for Earth's ecosystems?
The Sun.
78
What substance causes plants to be green, and why do they use this substance?
Chlorophyll is the substance that causes plants to be green. Plants use it to capture the energy in sunlight and convert it into chemical energy.
79
What is photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is the process of producing carbohydrates from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight.
80
Glucose is a form of __________.
Glucose is a form of sugar.
81
What is the word equation for photosynthesis?
carbon dioxide gas + water + | sunlight = glucose + oxygen gas
82
How do plants use the oxygen gas they produce?
Part of the oxygen they produce is released into the atmosphere, and the rest of it is used to extract the energy from the glucose.
83
How much of the atmosphere is made up of oxygen?
21%
84
TRUE OR FALSE: Very little of the oxygen found in the atmosphere is produced through photosynthesis.
FALSE. Almost all of the oxygen found in the atmosphere was created through photosynthesis.
85
What organisms from the world's forest biome and what organism from the marine biome produce most of the world's oxygen?
Trees from the world's forest biome and algae from the marine biome.
86
Plants need a continuous supply of energy for functions such as ________, ____________ and _____________.
Plants need a continuous supply of energy for functions such as growth, repair of tissues and reproduction.
87
What is cellular respiration?
The process plants use to obtain energy from glucose.
88
What is the word equation for cellular respiration?
glucose + oxygen gas = carbon dioxide gas + water + energy
89
TRUE OR FALSE: | Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are the same processes.
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration can be thought of as reverse processes.
90
What do plants use the energy released by cellular respiration for?
Plants use the energy released by cellular respiration for all the processes inside the cell.
91
TRUE OR FALSE: | Only plants carry out the process of cellular respiration.
FALSE. Animals also carry out the process of cellular respiration, because they cannot carry out photosynthesis so they need to obtain glucose.
92
What are producers, and why are they crucial in ecosystems?
Organisms that carry out photosynthesis (plants). They are crucial because they bring the sun's energy into biological systems and turn it into chemical energy that plants can use.
93
What is a consumer?
An organism that feeds on other organisms to obtain energy because they can not produce their own food.
94
What are the different levels of consumers? List an example of each.
Primary Consumer: eats producers (caterpillar) Secondary Consumer: feeds on primary consumer (robin) Tertiary Consumer: feeds on secondary consumer (hawk)
95
Define and provide an example of a carnivore, an omnivore and a herbivore.
HERBIVORE: eats plants (deer/moose) OMNIVORE: eats plants & meat (bear) CARNIVORE: mostly eat meat (lion)
96
What is a scavenger? Is a scavenger a herbivore or a carnivore?
Scavengers are carnivores that eat the remains of dead animals (ex: vulture)
97
What are detritivores, and what do they feed on?
Detritivores are organisms (like earthworms and maggots) that feed on organic matter. Organic matter is the remains of dead organisms and animal waste.
98
Are decomposers producers or consumers?
Consumers.
99
What is a role of a decomposer in an ecosystem?
The role of decomposers is to break down organic matter and release the nutrients in the organic matter back into the ecosystem.
100
What are the major decomposers?
Fungi and bacteria.
101
Do fungi and bacteria consume organic matter directly?
No. They release enzymes (special chemicals) into the organic matter to break it down.
102
What is a way of showing feeding relationships among ecosystems?
Food chains.
103
More complicated feeding relationships are known as _________ ___________.
Most complicated feeding relationships are known as food webs, because consumers eat more than one type of organism.
104
What do energy pyramids show?
Energy pyramids show the amount of available energy the producers and consumers contain as energy flows through the ecosystem.
105
The more levels you have in an energy pyramid, the the ______ energy that is available to the top-level consumer.
Less.
106
About ___% of the energy in the food that an animal eats can not be accessed so it is released as waste.
60%
107
Thirty percent of the energy in the food that an organism eats goes towards _________________________________.
Running cellular processes.
108
____ percent of the energy that the animal eats is available to pass on to an animal that eats it.
10%, because this is stored in the animal's body tissues, like bones, muscles, and fat.

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