Ecosystems

Flashcards based on Ecosystems lecture notes.

What is the Sonoran Desert?

A desert in Arizona where organisms have adaptations to survive with little water.

How do saguaro cacti roots help them survive in the desert?

They spread out widely just underneath the soil to absorb any rain that falls.

What is the role of Gila woodpeckers in the Sonoran Desert ecosystem?

They make holes in the cacti to make their nests which other birds also visit.

How do Cactus wrens protect their eggs and young ones from predators?

They use teddy bear chollas, which are very spiky, to make their nests.

How do lizards, tortoises, and other animals avoid the heat during the hot days in the desert?

Rest in the shade of plants or burrow into the soil where it is cooler.

When do kangaroo rats feed in the Sonoran Desert, and what are they wary of?

Come out to feed at night, wary of predators such as rattlesnakes and coyotes.

What happens when the rains come to the Sonoran Desert?

Produce flowers quickly, attracting insects that help pollinate them.

What role do ants play in the Sonoran Desert ecosystem after the rains?

Collect the seeds to take into their nests as a food store.

What are the interactions between animals and plants in an ecosystem?

Actions of one organism affect another.

How does light affect plants and animals in the Arizona desert?

Bright sunlight helps plants to photosynthesise, producing food for other organisms.

How does temperature affect animals in the Arizona desert?

Some animals are nocturnal, digging burrows for shelter during the day.

How do rocks and soil affect plants and animals in the Arizona desert?

Provide minerals for the plants to grow, as well as building material for ground-nesting birds.

How do organisms affect their environment?

Gases that organisms take in and give out affect the composition of the air.

What is an ecosystem?

A network of interactions between all the living organisms and the non-living things around them.

What are mangroves?

Trees that can grow with their roots in sea water, forming forests along the coasts of many tropical countries.

How do mangrove roots help young fish?

Young fish live among these, safe from larger fish.

What do mud skippers eat?

Climb out onto the mud when the tide is out, feeding on whatever they can find.

What do prawns and crabs eat in the mangrove ecosystem?

They eat the partly decomposed leaves.

What do crab-eating macaques eat?

Climb through the trees and catch crabs on the tree roots and mud.

What do seals do in the Arctic Ocean during winter?

Seals hunt for fish and must come to the surface to breathe air.

What do polar bears do on the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean?

Patrol the ice, looking for seals to kill and eat.

What do Arctic foxes eat on the sea ice?

Look for food on the ice.

What do algae do in the Arctic Ocean ecosystem?

Grow on the underside of the ice floes, providing food for tiny shrimp-like organisms.

What is a rice paddy?

Farmed by people where algae grow in shallow water.

Where do fish come from in rice paddies?

Swim into the flooded paddies from irrigation canals.

What do frogs and dragonflies do in the flooded rice paddies?

They breed in the water.

What is the study of ecosystems called?

Ecology is the study of ecosystems.

What is a habitat?

The place where an organism naturally lives.

What is the habitat of a saguaro cactus?

Open desert.

What is the habitat of a Gila woodpecker?

Saguaro cactus for nests and the air and ground to collect food.

What is the habitat of a desert ant?

Underneath the rocks and soil and on the soil surface.

Where do termites live?

At the base of the saguaro stems.

Where do sap beetles live?

Inside the saguaro flowers.

Where do kangaroo rats live?

In burrows, coming out to look for food at night.

What happens if a new species suddenly arrives in an ecosystem?

How the species fits into the network of interactions and how this affects the species already there.

When did New Zealand become separated from all the other areas of land in the world?

About 66 million years ago.

What was absent in New Zealand before humans arrived?

There were no predatory mammals.

Name three introduced species that humans brought to New Zealand.

Sheep. rabbits and stoats.

Why were stoats introduced to New Zealand?

To control rabbits.

What are some characteristics of Stoats?

Fierce hunters - Breed rapidly - Kill and eat birds larger than themselves.

What is DDT?

DDT is a persistent chemical that stays in the environment for a long time and is not broken down by decomposers.

How is DDT harmful to animals?

It makes the shells of birds' eggs very thin and easy to break.

What is bioaccumulation?

It builds up in the body as the organism absorbs more DDT.

What is biomagnification?

The concentration of DDT in an animal's body increases as you go up the food chain.

What is a predator?

An animal that hunts other animals for food.

What is prey?

An animal that is hunted and eaten by other animals.

What is photosynthesis?

The process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

What is a food chain?

The flow of energy through an ecosystem, starting with producers and moving to consumers.

What is an ecosystem?

A community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

What is biodiversity?

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.