Ecology ,Biodiversity and water carbon cycle

Ecosystem

Ecology study of how plants & animals interact each other & with their surroundings

Ecosystem

Group plant , animal & other organisms interact with each other and w their environment

Examples of environment

Dessert , grassland

Habitat

Small local part of ecosystem

Examples of habitat

Grassland, woodland, local park

Community

all organisms living in particular area

Adaption

Structure or behavior helps organisms survive in habitat or within community

Producer

Green plants make food

Examples of producer

Grass , Nettles

Consumer

Organism take in food

Herbivore

Eat only plants

carnivore

Eat only animals

Omnivore

Eat both

Food chain

List organisms which each organism eaten by next on chain

Food web

Number interlinked food chains

Decomposers

feed on dead + decaying organisms bad indigestion parts of plant + animal matter in faeces .

Trophies level

Position of organism on food chain

List all consumers

• primary

• Secondary

• Tertiary

Predator

Animal hunts + kills another animal for food EX . FOX

Prey

Animal hunted + killed for food EX. RABBIT

Adaptions

fox - forward facing eyes + sharp teeth = help find + kill prey

Rabbit - side- facing eyes + excellent hearing = help hear + run from predators

Competition

Plants - space, light, water

Animals - food, territory, mates

Interdependence

• Way which plants + animals rely on each other in ecosystem.

• some relationships both organisms benefit

• Others only one benefit sometimes causing harm to other

Examples of interdependence

• flower depend bee for pollination + bee depend on flower for nectar

• Tree depend on bird to disperse seeds + bird depend tree for food + shelter

Flow of matter in ecosystem

• living organisms need matter (carbon + nitrogen) carry out cell processes EX GROWTH + REPAIR

• plant absorb matter from air + soil. Animals get matter by eating plants + other organisms.

• Matter released into environment when organism respires, produces waste or dies Brocken down by decomposers.

• Matter constantly recycled from environment into living organisms + back into environment.

Flow of energy in ecosystem

• Living organisms need energy carry out cell processes EX GROWTH REPAIR

• sun primary source of energy for life on earth.

• Light energy from sun captured by green plants + changed to chemicals (glucose) in photosynthesis

• Some glucose used by plant for cell processes + some used build plant tissue

• Plant eaten by animal, animal uses energy plant tissue to carry out cell processes build more animal tissue.

• Rest energy released to environment as heat or waste

• Plant or animal die, decomposers release nutrients to soil + heat energy to environment

• Energy not recycled in ecosystem. Enters ecosystem as light energy and leaves as heat energy.

How identify plants + animal present inhabits

Identification book or key

Set of questions help identify species of organisms

Quantitive

Records number organisms present

Qualitive

Presence or absence of organism

Estimating no. Plants

Instrument = Quadrant

Unit = 1 meter squared / 0.5 m squared

1. Throw pencils over shoulder into habitat area

2. Place quadrant on ground pencil middld

3. Record name each plant found inside quadrant

4. Repeat all previous steps fixed number time

5. Calculate percentage frequency

biotic factors

Living components of ecosystem plants, animals , fungi + bacteria

Abiotic

non living components

List 4 abiotic factors and equipment

Air water soil > digital thermometer

Light intensity > lux/ light meter

Wind speed > anemometer

Soil pH > pH meter

Biodiversity

Variety of living things on Earth

Sustainability

Take steps to protect + maintain ecosystem for future

Conservation

Wise management of natural resources

Importance of biodiversity

• human depend other living things for food, shelter + materials

• Animals (insects) important for pollinating plants .

• Living things ( bacteria, fungi ) important decomposers break down matter + recycle nutrients

• Plant + fungi produce important chemicals used medicine

• Human rely healthy biodiverse environment for recreation + leisure

Threats to biodiversity

1. Modern food production

2. Pollution

3. Deforestation

4. Climate change + burning fossil fuels

5. Invasive species

Conservative methods used food production protect ecosystem for future

• land clearing - make way growing crops destroys habitat ( forests, hedgerows)

• Conservation - People not allowed remove hedgerows during nesting - breeding season for birds

• Agriculture - overuse fertilizer. Fertilizer + slurry may seep into rivers , streams causing fish death

• Conservation - slurry only spread dry weather

• overfishing- fishing nets small mesh takes immature fish + fish will not be eaten out of water

• Conservation - use nets larger mesh size

Types of pollution

Land pollution - illegal dumping

Water pollution - sewage spill into sea

Air pollution - smog cities

Conservation to pollution

• recycle materials

• Reduce waste

• No burn fossil fuels

• no dump illegal

Deforestation

Large areas forests cut down make way for buildings, destroys habitat many species of plants and animals

Conservation - replanting trees, only cutting section instead of forest

Climate change

Changing of habitat species + plants EX C.C reduction sea + land ice. Reduce hunting ground for polar bears.

conservation - reduce carbon emissions. Renewable energy . No burn fossil fuels

Invasive species

non-native species plant or animal introduced into environment. Introduced to environment by humans EX grey squirrels

Invasive compete w native species for food + space, threaten biodiversity ecosystem.

• EX , Japanese knotweed invasive plant species can damage buildings + soil erosion

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Managing invasive species

Tell public about presence of Japanese knotweed area + stop farmers cutting which lead to further spreading

Water cycle

water is essential for life on earth. Water exists three states. Water never runs out constantly recycled in water cycle

Processes removing carbon from atmosphere

Photosynthesis (biological)

Dissolves in ocean

Processes releasing carbon to atmosphere

• respiration

• decay + decomposition dead matter + waste by microorganisms

• Combustion (burning fossil fuels)

• Released from ocean by motion of waves

Where is carbon stored

Plant + animal tissue

Fossil fuels

The oceans

Rocks

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