ecology

Question 1

What is ECOLOGY?

Answer 1

The study of interactions:
* among living organisms
* between organisms (biotic environment) and
physical environment (abiotic environment)

Question 2

what is a habitat

habitats can be living, non-living,natural or artificial

Answer 2

The place where an organism lives in.

Question 3

population

Answer 3

a grp of organisms of the same species living in a particular habitat makes up a population

Question 4

community

Answer 4

consists of different populations of organisms living together in the same habitat

Question 5

Ecosystem

Answer 5

An ecosystem consists of communities of living organisms interacting with one another and with their physical environment

Question 6

definition of abiotic factors

Answer 6

abiotic factors are non-living components of the ecosystem, which include all the physical factors that influence the organisms such as light, temperature,pH etc.

Question 7

what are the abiotic factors

not asking for defintion

Answer 7

• Light intensity
• Temperature
• Water availability
• Oxygen content
• pH
  (of soil & water)
• Salinity
  (of soil & water)

Question 8

what does Light intensity affect

Answer 8

1. Affects distribution and growth of
   plants, and distribution of animals
2. Green plants exist only where there is an adequate supply of sunlight
3. Many animals need lights to see and catch their prey or detect predators

Question 9

what does temperature affect

Answer 9

1. Affects the rate of metabolism in plants and animals
2. Most organisms cannot tolerate extreme temperatures(too high or too low),thus, population decreases.

Question 10

How do living things adapt to temperature changes

Answer 10

• Plants are able to survive through seasons such as summer and winter by
  1. storing food in underground storage organs
  2. shedding leaves to reduce water loss
  3. producing seeds which are resistant to extreme temperatures
• Some animals are adapted physically,blubber in bears, and/or behaviourally, hibernation, to survive extreme temperatures

Question 11

what does water availability affect

Answer 11

Affects the population size and location of plants
and animals.

Question 12

what affects water availabilty

Answer 12

depends on amount of annual rainfall

Question 13

how are plants adapted to survive in areas with limited supply of water?

Answer 13

• young leaves are shed or are reduced to spines so as to lower the rate of transpiration.
• fleshy stems store up water
• green stems take over the function of photosynthesis from leaves.

Question 14

animals adaptations to survive with little water

Answer 14

gills and fins, for living in water

Question 15

definition of salinity

Answer 15

amt of dissolved salt in water bodies

Question 16

why are aquatic organisms affected by the concentration of salt in the water

Answer 16

due to the difference in water potential between theur cells and the aquatic environment

Question 17

definition of pH

Answer 17

measure of how acidic or alkaline a water body/soil is

Question 18

affects of changes in pH level

Answer 18

less organisms in drastic pH level
Aquatic organisms are sensitive to pH of the water, they may die if there is a drastic or sudden change in pH

Question 19

what is tolerance range

Answer 19

Tolerance range is the range within which a species can exist but not strive (high + low population)

Question 20

what is optimal range

Answer 20

The optimal range is the range within which a species is best adapted. It thrives with a high population.

Question 21

what happens if the abiotic factor is near the upper and lower limits of the tolerance range

Answer 21

individuals experience stress.
* This will reduce the species’ 1) health 2) rate of growth and 3) reproduction.

Question 22

can an organism survive on its own

Answer 22

no. living organisms evolved to have different relationships between each other. These interrelationships help to keep the balance in an ecosystem

Question 23

what are the biotic factors

Answer 23

predation, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism

Question 24

whats predation

Answer 24

carnivorous/omnivorous organism kills and eats another organism

prey and predator

Question 25

whats parasitism

Answer 25

benefits at the expense of the other(host)

Question 26

whats mutualism

Answer 26

a relationship between two organisms in which both organisms benefit from each other

Question 27

what commensalism

Answer 27

a relationship between two organisms where one benefits, and the other is neither harmed nor benefits

Question 28

whats a non-cyclic energy flow | questions may ask why cant enegry be returned to the ecosystem-same ans

Answer 28

energy flow in the ecosystem is considered non-cyclic as it is **unidirectional** and **cannot be recycled**. Energy does not return to the organism which released it

Question 29

percentage of energy entering ecosystem from sun

Answer 29

1%

Question 30

how much chemical energy is passed on from one trophic level to the next

Answer 30

~10%

Question 31

why is 90 percent of chemical energy lost to the enivronment

Answer 31

* as heat during respiration * in uneaten body parts * in undigested matter * in excretory waste

Question 32

trophic levels

Answer 32

producer-primary consumers-secondary consumers-tertiary consumers-apex predators

Question 33

what is cellular respiration

Answer 33

it is the process by which glucose is broken down in the presence of exygen, with the release of a large amount of energy, carbon dioside and water

Question 34

word equation for photosynthesis

Answer 34

carbon dioxide+water=glucose and oxygen

Question 35

word equation for cellular respiration

Answer 35

glucose+oxygen=carbon dioxide+water+energy

Question 36

herbivore

Answer 36

feed on plants

Question 37

carnivore

Answer 37

feed on animal

Question 38

omnivore

Answer 38

feed on both plants and animals

Question 39

scavenger

Answer 39

feed on dead animals

Question 40

why do food chains not have more than five trophic levels

Answer 40

Food chains do not have more than five trophic levels as 90% of energy is lost from one trophic level to the next, there will be insufficient energy to sustain the life of the final consumer/ apex predator

Question 41

importance of carbon cycle

Answer 41

ensures that there is a continuous supply of carbon dioxide for plants to carry out photsynthesis enables energy to flow through the ecosystem, in the form of carbon compounds, thus sustaining the lives of non-photosynthesizing organisms in the food chain

Question 45

carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere

Answer 45

photosynthesis,feeding,formation of fossil fuels

Question 46

carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere

Answer 46

respiration,decompositiono,combustion

Question 47

what is a carbon sink

Answer 47

a carbon sink stores carbon compounds for an indefinite period. It absorbs more carbon that it releases. Hence, a carbon sink is a carbon reservoir

Question 48

what is a carbon source

Answer 48

a carbon source releases more carbon than it absorbs

Question 49

whats the main cause of climate change

Answer 49

**enhanced** greenhouse effect caused by humans.

Question 50

what is the process of greenhouse effect

Answer 50

It is the natural process in which greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb and re-emit heat being radiated from the earth to space,trapping heat.

Question 51

what is eutrophication

Answer 51

eutrophication is the process in which water bodies get more ntrients than usual due to dewage or fertilizers from agricultural run-offs

Question 51

definition of pollution

Answer 51

defined to be the process by which harmful substances are added to the environment,making it unfit for life

Question 52

what is biomagnification

Answer 52

biomagnification is the process whereby there is a progressive increase in the concentration of a substance as it moves up the trophic levels. The apex predator of the food chain will eventually incur the highest concentration of pollutants and the worst impact due to biomagnification.

Question 52

process of eutrophication

Answer 52

Fertilizer or sewage causes an increase growth of algae and weeds. With the large amount of algae and water plants growing on the surface of the water will block the sunlight,causing the death of submerged plants. The dead submerged plants are decomposed by bacteria. Bacteria multiply in large numbers and reduces the amount of oxygen in the water body. This suffocates other organsims living in the water.

Question 53

definition of invasive species

Answer 53

Species become invasive when accidentally or deliberately introduced to new area beyond their native ranges, and are able to survive, reproduce, and then spread and cause a negative impact on local biodiversity

Question 54

phases for successful invasion of a species in a new habitat

Answer 54

introduction,establishment(capable of surviving without direct help from people), spread

Question 55

2 reasons for conservation

Answer 55

remember 2 1. prevent extinction of our flora and fauna 2. maintain a stable and balacned ecosystem and prevent the disruption of natural cycles such as water and carbon cycles 3. to maintain a rich biodiverstiy in order to have enough genetic diversity to help species survive the changing environmental conditions

Question 55

what is the most important for establishment

Answer 55

tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions

Question 55

definition of conservation

Answer 55

conservation is the protection and preservation of natural resources in the environment

Question 56

meaning of biodiversity

Answer 56

refers to the range of species that are peresent in a particular ecosystem

Question 57

conservation measures (forest ecosystem)

Answer 57

* reforestation to replace trees that have been removed or destroyed * government to designate some land as forest reserve * wildlife corridor to allow wildlife separated by human structures to remain connected

Question 58

reducing the impacts of climate change

Answer 58

reducing carbon emissions

Question 58

conservation of marine environment

Answer 58

* raising endagered species of fish in hatcherir=es and releasing them into fishing grounds where the fish popultaion is decreasing * enforcement of laws to protect marine species and environment * regulating entry of fishing ships into fishing grounds * restricting the dumping of garbage, untreated sewage and chemicals into rivers and swas