Biosphere

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What is an Ecosystem made up of?

Living and non-living things.
What is a habitat?

The place where an organism lives
What is a community?

All the plants, animals and micro-organisms living in a habitat.
What is population?

All the living organisms of one type.
What is a biotic factor? Give three examples

A biotic factor is a living factor. Examples include food, disease and predators
What is an abiotic factor? Give three examples

An abiotic factor is a non-living factor. Examples include temperature, light intensity, pH and moisture.
What is abundance?

Abundance of an organism is the measure of the extent to which it appears in an environment.
What can be used to sample a soil/leaf ecosystem?

A pitfall trap
What are the problems that can occur with pitfall traps?
- The numbers and types of organisms may not be representative of the ecosystem as a whole
- Birds may eat the trapped animals
- Some animals may eat others
What can be used to sample a tree ecosystem?

A beating tray and stick
What are the problems that can occur with a beating tray and stick?
- The numbers and types of organisms may not be representative of the ecosystem as a whole
- Some organisms may miss the tray or drop off the edges or fly away
- Some animals may not be dislodged by beating
What can be used to sample a fresh water pond ecosystem?

A sweep net
What are the problems that can occur with a sweep net?
- The numbers and types of organisms may not be representative of the ecosystem as a whole
- Small animals may escape through the holes in the net
- When investigating the bottom of the pond some of the animals in the net may have been caught from the water near the surface as the net passed through
What are paired or branched statement keys used for?

To identify organisms
What is a producer?

An organism that can make its own food (eg plants)
What is a consumer?

An organism that must consume another organism for food (eg animals)
Energy is _______ from the food chain at each stage?

lost
How can energy be lost?
- In undigested food
- Due to movement
- Lost as heat
Name four factors that limit the population.
- Predators
- Disease
- Limited food
- Lack of space
What does the growth of a population depend on?

Birth and death rates
Bacteria and fungi ________ dead plants and animals?

decompose
What does nitrogen fixing mean?

Converting nitrogen gas to nitrate
What do nitrifying bacteria do?

They convert the dead remain of plants and animals ---> ammonium compounds ---> nitrITES ---> nitrATES
As you move along the food chain the size of the organism often ________?

increases
A pyramid of numbers represents the ________ of all organisms at each feeding level?

number
A pyramid of biomass represents the _____ of all organisms at each feeding level?

mass
What does the nitrogen cycle show?

How nitrogen is obtained by plants and animals.
What is pollution?

A substance that is harmful to animal or plant
Name three main sources of pollution
- Industry
- Agriculture
- Domestic
Give examples of ways to help control pollution
- Using unleaded petrol
- Treating sewage
What are the effects of acid rain?
- Trees take in acid rain through their roots - destroying them
- Buildings are destroyed
- The pH of lochs drop, killing animals living there
Bacteria can feed on waste and multiply quickly. What effect does this have on the aquatic life in the river?

The bacteria use all the oxygen so the fish and other aquatic life may suffocate.
Give examples of two indicator species that are found in water with low oxygen levels.
- Blood worm
- Sludgeworm
What does the presence or absence of an indicator species tell us?

How polluted an environment is
What does the poor management of resources lead to?

The disruption or destruction of many habitats
Give two examples of poor management of resources
- Desrtuction of the rainforest
- Overfishing

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Card Set

Biosphere

Description

Standard grade Biology unit - the Biosphere

Updated

2011-01-29T14:18:39Z

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