29801982
Description
Flashcards by Malachy Moran-Tun, updated more than 1 year ago
|
|
Created by Malachy Moran-Tun
about 3 years ago
|
|
| Question | Answer |
| What is an Ecosystem? | A geographical area and the organisms that live there, including the biotic (living) and abiotic (not-living) factors in that geographical area |
| What is the Population of an Ecosystem? | All of the organisms of ONE SPECIES in a habitat |
| What is the Community of an Ecosystem? | All of the organisms of DIFFERENT SPECIES in a habitat |
| What is Interdependence? | When all the organisms in an ecosystem rely on eachother, for food, shelter, and habitat (etc.) |
| What are Biotic Factors? | Living organisms / factors that affect a community |
| What are Abiotic Factors? | Physical and chemical factors that affect distribution |
| What are some Examples of Abiotic Factors? | > Soil pH > Sunlight / Light Intensity > Rainfall > Temperature > Humidity > Pollution > Amount of Water etc. |
| What are some Examples of Biotic Factors? | > Herbivory > Predation > Invasive Species > Disease > Competition (of Resources) > Parasitism etc. |
| What are Pollutants? | Substances that cause harm in the environment (and subsequently cause pollution), they can poison organisms, or cause harm in other ways, such as plastics being eaten by fish Many human activities release pollutants |
| What are the Major Effects of Climate Change? | > Temperature Change > Drought > Flooding |
| What is Adaptation? | When organisms change to be suited to particular conditions; if abiotic factors change, their distribution may change |
| core practical quadrats in... | the revision guide nerd lolz |
| What is the Equation for Estimating Population using a Quadrat? | Population Size = Number of Organisms in All Quadrats × (Total Size of the Area ÷ Total Area of the Quadrats) |
| Where does Biomass' Energy come from? | Energy from the sunlight, that is transferred into biomass (the mass of tissues) by photosynthesis |
| What is a Trophic Level? | Each part of the food chain, e.g. producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer etc. |
| Why is there a Limit to Food Chain Length? | Consumers at each trophic level convert (at most) 10% of all the biomass in their food to their own organic tissue, so eventually there is negligible energy transfer |
| Why is only ~10% of Biomass Transferred Between Trophic Levels? | > Not all the biomass of an organism is eaten (e.g. plant roots or animal bones) > Energy is transferred to the environment as metabolic heat due to movement and respiration > Parts of the organism may be eaten but indigestible, so their energy content is excreted as fæces > Energy is lost from the animal in excretory materials, such as urine |
| What is a Pyramid of Biomass? | The biomass of all organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem displayed as a diagram. It's a pyramid since less energy available means less biomass |
| What is the Equation for Efficiency of Energy Transfer? | Efficiency = Energy Transferred to Biomass ÷ Total Energy Supplied to the Organism |
| What is Parasitism and how is it Different to most Feeding Relationships? | > One organism (parasite) benefits by feeding off a host organism, causing harm to the host > Lives in or on the host > Host may survive for a long time and continue to provide for the parasite if it causes limited harm > Different since, normally, a predator kills, eats, and then moves on to find more prey |
| Why is Parasitism a + / - Relationship and what is Mutualism? | + / - since one benefits and one loses Mutualism is + / + since both mutually benefit |
| What is Fish Farming and its Aim? | > 17% of protein consumed globally comes from fish > It's not possible for all this to come from wild fish sustainably > Overfishing wild fish has damaged ecosystems > Fish farming aims to produce more fish for consumption while avoiding aquatic damage |
| What are some Problems with Fish Farming? | > Uneaten food and fæces sink to the bottom of the water, which can harm both wild and farmed organisms > Parasites and disease can spread more easily due to close conditions so they need to be treated quickly, which is costly > The fish are in a small, enclosed space: ethical issues with farming in general |
| What is the Introduction of (Non-Native) Species and its Aim? | > Indigenous / native species are species that have always been present in a particular ecosystem > Non-indigenous species can be introduced to an ecosystem by humans (intentionally or not) > Usually introduced as a form of biological control and a way of controlling population |
| What are some Problems with the Introduction of (Non-Native) Species? | > Can cause problems in ecosystem affecting biodiversity > Compete with indigenous species for resources, such as food and habitat > If the non-indigenous species out-compete indigenous ones, they will die out, reducing biodiversity > Brings new diseases to a habitat, which can infect and kill lots of indigenous species |
| What is Eutrophication? | > Fertiliser is added to crops, which has to be water soluble to be effective > Heavy rain can wash the fertiliser, which has dissolved nitrates and phosphates > The excess nitrates and phosphates are washed into a body of water (e.g. a stream or lake) > Due to the high nitrate and phosphate concentrations, plants and algæ grow rapidly > These can block out light, which means lower plants cannot photosynthesise > These plants die and also there is a lack of oxygen > Bacteria that break up dead plant material also use up more oxygen due to the dead plants > Aquatic animals, such as fish, die due to lack of oxygen level |
| Why is Conserving Biodiversity Important? | > Conserves individual species and communities > Areas with greater biodiversity recover from natural disasters easier > Greater sources of medicines and other materials / products > As conditions change, a wider variety of plants and animals may be beneficial to humans > Ethical and moral obligations > Protects the human food supply > Ensures minimal damage to food chains > Cultural aspects and ecotourism > Provides new jobs |
| What is Conservation? | When an effort is made to protect a rare or endangered species or habitat |
| How does Deforestation affect Biodiversity? | > Removes tree species > Other species may depend on the tree species for food, shade, shelter, and habitat > Tree species and others could die, reducing biodiversity |
| What is Reforestation? | > Replanting a new forest (usually where a forest previously stood) > Requires careful planning to maximise positive effects and minimise negative ones, e.g. using a wide variety of tree species for higher biodiversity |
| What is Breeding in Captivity? | When animals are bred in enclosed, protected areas to increase species numbers and preserve them while their original habitat is being rebuilt (such as through reforestation) |
| What are Indicator Species? | Species that are sensitive to changes in their environment, which can be studied to see effects of human activities |
| What 2 Types of Pollution can Indicator Species be used to Show the Impact of? | 1. Water Pollution 2. Air Pollution |
| How can Levels of Pollution be Measured without Indicator Species? | Dissolved oxygen meters and chemical tests, for water pollution, as well as electronic meter and lab test for sulfur dioxide, for air pollution |
| What type of Pollution do Blackspot Fungi Indicate and how? | > Air pollution > Found on rose leaves > Sensitive to sulfur dioxide - their presence indicates clean air |
| What type of Pollution do Blood Worms Indicate and how? | > Water Pollution > Invertebrate species that live in polluted conditions > Their presence indicates polluted water |
| What type of Pollution do Freshwater Shrimp Indicate and how? | > Water Pollution > Invertebrate species that are very sensitive to the concentration of dissolved oxygen > Their presence indicates clean water |
| What type of Pollution do Lichen Indicate and how? | > Air Pollution > Sensitive to the concentration of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere > Number and type of lichen indicate how clean the air is |
| What type of Pollution do Sludgeworms Indicate and how? | > Water Pollution > Invertebrate species that live in polluted conditions > Their presence indicates polluted water |
| What type of Pollution do Stonefly Larvæ Indicate and how? | > Water Pollution > Invertebrate species that are very sensitive to concentration of dissolved oxygen in water > Presence indicates clean water |
| What is Food Security? | Having access to enough safe and healthy food at all times |
| How has Food Security Changed in Recent Years? | > Improved agricultural methods have lead to increased food security > Still a major issue in poor / conflict-ridden countries > Increasingly rising population also a concern |
| How has the Increased Consumption of Meat / Fish and Animal Farming Affected Food Security? | > Less energy and less biomass every trophic level of a food chain > Able to produce a lot more food for humans by growing crops rather than grazing animals > Animals and fish being reared are often fed crops that would otherwise be eaten by humans > Factory farming causes major environmental and ethical issues > Overfishing wild fish causes major environmental issues |
| How have the Environmental Changes caused by Human Activity Affected Food Security? | > Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming, a type of climate change > Increase in the use of fertiliser also contributes to CO₂ emissions > Climate change can affect the growth of crops, reducing yield, as well as changing rainfall patterns, making it harder to predict good / bad harvests > Soil pollution could also reduce the ability to crow crops > Climate change can also lead to an increase in pests and pathogens moving to new areas: spread of disease |
| What happens in the Water Cycle? | > Energy from the Sun makes water evaporate from bodies of water, forming water vapour > Water vapour condenses to form clouds > Water droplets get too large and heavy, so fall as rain or snow (precipitation) > Precipitation provides fresh water for plants an animals, which is then drained into the sea or into groundwater |
| How is Drinking Water Produced in areas of Plentiful Water? | > Needs to be made potable > Treaded with chemicals and filtering > Removes any dirt, pathogens, or toxic substances (> improves the taste) |
| How is Drinking Water Produced in areas of Drought? | > Collected from the air to be distilled through evaporation and condensation > Collected from the sea, which needs to be made potable via desalination (removing salts from salt water) |
| Label Each Part of the Carbon Cycle | |
| How is Nitrogen Absorbed by Plants and why? | > Absorbed in dissolved nitrogen compounds in soil water, such as nitrates > Nitrogen in the air (N₂) is unreactive, so few organisms can extract it from the air |
| Why is Nitrogen Important Biologically? | Many important, biological compounds contain nitrogen, such as proteins and DNA |
| How does Lightning Contribute to the Nitrogen Cycle? | > Energy from lightning storms can cause unreactive nitrogen in the air to form reactive nitrogen compounds > Nitrogen compounds are added to the soil when it rains |
| How do Decomposers Contribute to the Nitrogen Cycle? | > Break down dead organisms and animal waste into ammonia > Ammonia is a compound which contains nitrogen |
| How does Denitrifying Bacteria Contribute to the Nitrogen Cycle? | > Break down nitrates into nitrogen (N₂) > N₂ is released into the atmosphere |
| How does Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria Contribute to the Nitrogen Cycle? | > Converts nitrogen gas (N₂) into nitrogen compounds in the soil > Some legume plants, such as peas and beans, have a mutualistic relationship with these bacteria > The bacteria are protected inside nodules and the plant gets nitrogen compounds |
| Label the Parts of the Nitrogen Cycle | |
| How can Farmers use Crop Rotation to gain Additional Nitrates without Fertiliser | > Use the mutualistic relationship of nitrogen-fixing bacteria and legume plants > Keeps the soil fertile > Plant a crop of legume plants, digging in the roots after > The following crop benefits from the additional nitrogen produced by the nitrogen-fixing bacteria |
| What is Decomposition? | When microorganisms, such as soil bacteria and fungi, convert waste or dead material into elements that make up the soil or air |
| What does Food Preservation Rely on? | > Reducing Temperature > Reducing Water Content > Irradiation > Reducing Oxygen > Reducing pH all slow down the rate of reactions in decomposers |
| What is Composting? | A way of reducing food waste and increasing soil fertility |
| How are the following Factors Controlled during Composting: Temperature Oxygen Levels Water Content | > Temperature - insulated lid of black plastic > Oxygen Levels - vents in the side and turning the compost heap > Water Content - insulating lid |
| How do you Calculate the Rate of Decomposition? | Rate of Decomposition = Mass Lost ÷ Number of Days |
Want to create your own Flashcards for free with GoConqr? Learn more.