Ecology
The study of how organisms interact with each other and the environment.
Ecology
List 4 abiotic factors
Water, temperature, soil, fire, light, gas levels
List 2 biotic factors in a grasshoppers environment
Predation by birds
Competition for food
Competition for mate
What does an arrow show in a food web?
The arrows represent the movement/flow of energy from one organism to another when consumed
List 3 ways ecosystems are impacted by humans
Introduced species, habitat destruction, bioaccumulation
All the factors in an organism's surroundings that affect it
The environment
Why did Australian Aboriginal communities use fire to improve plant growth?
Some plants will flower better after fire and germinate, some require fire to open seed pods
What is symbiosis?
Close, physical long-term relationship between two organisms of a different species
Why are producers so important in an ecosystem?
They produce their own food materials, everything else must eat producers or eat something that has eaten a producer to gain energy
List 2 benefits of fire on an ecosystem
Plant reproduction - open seed cases
Plant growth - eucalyptus produce fresh shoots after fire, food for herbivores
How does an artificial ecosystem differ from a natural ecosystem? (2 ways)
1. Not balanced
2. Managed by adding food and removing waste
Why do ectotherms require heat?
cold blooded animal whose body temperature depends on the environment, need heat for chemical reactions in cells
What is the relationship called when one organism benefits and the other is unaffected?
Commensalism
Give an example of a food chain with four trophic levels
producer - consumer - consumer - consumer
Why is biodiversity important for an ecosystem?
Organisms with high biodiversity are less likely to be disrupted by environmental changes
What are the three main components of an ecosystem?
1. Physical Surroundings
2. Living organisms
3. Living (biotic) and non-living (biotic factors)
What is the word equation for photosynthesis?
sunlight
carbon dioxide + water ------> glucose + oxygen
chlorophyll
Give an example of Parasitism
Tapeworm
Fleas
grass - snail - frog - tarantula. Which is the second-order consumer in this food web
frog
Using an example explain the impact of an introduced species.
Cane toads, rabbits, cats, foxes etc.
Compete for resources, breed quickly, eat native species, destroy habitats
A community consists of....
all the living things in an ecosystem
Why can a polar bear survive in the arctic better than a goanna?
Polar bear is warm blooded, goanna is cold blooded. (Also polar bear has adapted to that environment)
Describe the relationship between a predator and its prey
When many prey there are fewer predators. Numbers of predators will gradually increase
When many predators there a fewer prey. There will be competition for resources and number of prey will decrease
eucalypt - bee - rainbow bird - peregrine falcon. If the peregrine falcon received 3.1 MJ of energy how much energy did the bee receive?
310 MJ of energy
Why does a whale contain more mercury than a tuna?
Bioaccumulation - mercury doesn't break down, each animal retains the mercury present in the animal it ate