Dichotomous Keys
A dichotomous key is a tool that helps you identify plants, animals, or other things by asking a series of yes/no or either/or questions
Identify the two types of factors that impact populations
Abiotic (non-biological Changes) and Biotic (Biological changes)
Name one type of relationship in ecosystems where both species benefit
Mutualism. (Example: bee and flower)
Identify what an Invasive Species in Australia is?
Rabbits, foxes, rats.
What does a food chain start and end with?
Producers and Apex Predators
Explain what taxonomy means and how its related to a taxonomist
Taxonomy means the science of naming, describing and classifying organisms a taxonomist is related as it is a scientist that names, describes and classifies organisms.
Which of the following is an abiotic factor?
a) Soil
b) Trees
c) Fish
d) Insects
What is the type of relationship between a flea and a dog
Parasitism. (a form of symbiosis where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, benefiting at the host's expense while causing it harm)
Describe what impacts invasive species have on Food chains / ecosystems
They cause an imbalance which can result in the over consumption of producers or animals resulting in the food chain collapsing.
Explain what the arrows in the food chain represent
Direction of energy transfer
What is an example of a characteristic you might use in a dichotomous key for animals?
Has fur or does not have fur
Model what would happen when a producer is removed
Without producers, primary consumers wouldn't have a food source and wouldn't survive, causing a roll on effect where secondary consumers wouldn't have food and cannot survive and so on.
Determine an example of competition between two Australian species in the same ecosystem
Kangaroos and sheep both compete for grass in grazing areas.
Explain what a sustainable ecosystem is and what happens when an invasive species is introduced?
A sustainable ecosystem is an ecosystem that is able to meet the needs of the organisms living in it now and in the future. When an invasive species in introduced it creates an unbalance system and endangering Natural Species
Describe what an Energy Pyramid is and what is shows
An energy pyramid is a diagram that shows how energy is passed through a food chain. The base is the largest, showing producers (plants) have the most energy, and the top is the smallest, showing top predators have the least energy.
Determine, besides animals and plants, what else can a dichotomous key be used to identify.
Objects, rocks almost anything.
Consider whether these are abiotic or biotic: Seasons changing, deforestation, Building cities
Seasons changing is a abiotic changes. Deforestation and building cities are both biotic factors as they are caused by humans.
Explain the difference between commensalism and mutualism
Mutualism = both benefit; Commensalism = one benefits, the other is unaffected.
Elaborate on how Rabbits came to Australia and why the are invasive for the Australian ecosystem
Rabbits came to Australia with settlers for recreational hunting. They are invasive due to their rapid population growth and its negative effects on the ecosystem - specifically producers.
Why are there usually fewer top predators (like lions or eagles) than herbivores in an ecosystem
Because energy decreases at each level of the food chain, there isn’t enough energy to support large populations of top predators.
Determine whether a dichotomous key always has to use physical properties (fur, legs)
No. A dichotomous key can also use other traits that you can observe or measure, like where something lives, how it behaves, or what it eats (Morphological key vs ecological key vs Technical key).
Determine what would happen if humans disappeared from the earth today
Human processes like deforestation would disappear with buildings and infrastructure decaying, leading to the environmental reclaiming.
Determine what a keystone species is in Australia and why it is important for ecosystem balance
A keystone species is one that keeps the ecosystem balanced. In Australia, dingoes are keystone species because they control animals like kangaroos and rabbits. Without dingoes, these animals overgraze and damage the environment.
Classify whether humans are invasive species to Australia and explain why or why not?
Humans are not technically an invasive species (because we are native to Earth), but we often act like one because we spread rapidly and cause major changes to ecosystems.
Explain what the ‘10% rule’ means in food chains and energy pyramids. Why is energy lost at each step
Only about 10% of the energy from one level is passed to the next level in a food chain. The rest is lost as heat, movement, and waste.