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Jen B. 11RV6
BIOLOGY NOTES
A Local Ecosystem
1. The distribution, diversity and numbers of plants and
animals found in ecosystems are determined by biotic and
abiotic factors
a) Compare the abiotic characteristics of aquatic and terrestrial
environments
Ecosystems
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A Local Ecosystem
Abiotic Factor
Viscosity
Jen B. 11RV6
Comparison of
Terrestrial and Aquatic
Difficult to move in
aquatic environments,
easier to move in air
Buoyancy
Easier to be supported
in water than in air
Temperature
Little difference in
temperature in the
water, large
temperature range in
the air
Availability
of gases,
water and
ions
Light
penetration
Pressure
variation
Physical
Forces
Shelter/Spac
e
Explanation
Water is more viscous
than air. More difficult to
move in water because of
higher particle numbers
Water has more density
than air. Its easier to be
less dense in water and
thus easier to be buoyant
Sun and rain have more
effect in air than in water.
More particles in water,
takes longer for
temperatures to
penetrate
Gases= can be dissolved
in water
Water= More water in
aquatic environments
Ions= Dissolve easily in
water
More particles in water,
harder for light to
penetrate
A Local Ecosystem
Jen B. 11RV6
Transects
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Quadrats
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Capture Recapture
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A Local Ecosystem
Jen B. 11RV6
Energy in an Ecosystem
Photosynthesis
- Energy in an ecosystem is used in various ways, such as movement,
making sound, carrying out chemical reactions as part of cellular
metabolism, producing heat and, in some organisms, producing light
- Original source of energy in ecosystems is light
- Plants absorb some light energy from the sun, which is converted
into glucose via photosynthesis
- Half of this is broken down in respiration to make energy
- Photosynthesis occurs within the chloroplasts of plant cells
- The more light a plant has, the faster it can photosynthesise
Carbon Dioxide + Water Oxygen + Glucose + Water
Respiration
- Glucose is broken down by respiration to provide energy for plants
and animals
- This energy is transferred through animals and plants when they are
eaten and digested by other plants and animals
- Some energy is lost as heat
- Process occurs in all living cells in the mitochondria
Glucose + Oxygen Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy
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A Local Ecosystem
Jen B. 11RV6
Predator: The animal that hunts and kills other animals for food
Prey: The animal that is eaten
Prey must compete for food and mates, and must also avoid being
killed by the predators. The predators are very dependent on the
prey for food, so as the prey population changes, so does the
predator population. One rises and falls slightly after the other
An example of a predator/prey relationship is the Mulberry Whelk
which eats limpets and barnacles
c) Identify examples of allelopathy (competitions), parasitism,
mutualism and commensalism in an ecosystem and the role of
organisms in each type of relationship
Name
Description
Example
Predation
Capture and
killing of other
animals for food
Parasites feed of
its hosts tissues
or food in the
hosts gut
Only one species
will benefit but
the other will not
be harmed
Grey Nurse
Shark on fish
Parasitism
Commensalism
Organisms (+,-,
0)
Organism 1: +
Organism 2: -
Tick on Dogs
Organism 1: +
Organism 2: -
Clownfish living
in anemones
Organism 1: +
Organism 2: 0
A Local Ecosystem
Mutualism
Allelopathy
Jen B. 11RV6
Two species
derive some
benefit from
living together
A process where
allelochemicals
are released to
influence the
growth of
neighbours. An
example of
competition
Organism 1: +
Organism 2: +
Pine trees on
other plants
Organism 1: +
Organism 2: -
Trophic Levels
A Local Ecosystem
Jen B. 11RV6
Food Webs
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Adaptations
- Adaptation: Special features or behaviours that make an organism
particularly suited to its environment. They are part of the
evolutionary process
- Adaptations increase an organisms chance of survival and so
increase its chance of reproducing
- Types of adaptation:
o Structural: Shape and size e.g. fur, large SA to volume ratio
o Physiological: How it functions e.g. high metabolic rate
o Behavioural: How it acts e.g. licking fur, nocturnal activity
j) Describe and explain the short term and long term consequences
on the ecosystem of species competing for resources
Short term: Both species have a decreased chance of survival and their
numbers are reduced
Long term: One species will survive and reproduce at the expense of the
other species
A Local Ecosystem
Jen B. 11RV6