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LGS A-Level OCR Biology - Unit 6 - Ecosystems Part 1

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This flashcard deck covers key concepts from Unit 6 of the OCR A-Level Biology curriculum, focusing on ecosystems. It includes definitions, factors affecting ecosystems, and the organization of ecosystems.

Ecosystem

All the interactions between the living and non-living components in a defined area
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Key Terms

Term
Definition
Ecosystem
All the interactions between the living and non-living components in a defined area
Biome
Large ecosystem
Open ecosystem
When living things can move between ecosystems
Closed ecosystems
When living things cannot easily move between ecosystems e.g. islands
Niche
Role of a particular species
Biotic
Involves other living organisms

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TermDefinition
Ecosystem
All the interactions between the living and non-living components in a defined area
Biome
Large ecosystem
Open ecosystem
When living things can move between ecosystems
Closed ecosystems
When living things cannot easily move between ecosystems e.g. islands
Niche
Role of a particular species
Biotic
Involves other living organisms
Biotic factors affecting ecosystems
Predators; Food supply (prey); Disease; Cooperation between species; Competition between species
Abiotic factors affecting ecosystems
pH; Conc of pollutants; Temp (climatic); Moisture/ rainfall/ relative humidity; O2 level; Soil type (edaphic); Light intensities
How does low light intensity affect the ecosystem
Plants develop photosynthetic pigments that require less light; Grow larger leaves; Reproductive systems that only work in optimum light intensities
How does temp affect the ecosystem
Temp has the biggest effect on enzymes in the organisms that live in the ecosystem; May trigger migration/ hibernation; Dormancy/ leaf fall/ flowering in plants
How are ecosystems organised
In trophic levels
Producers in an ecosystem
Lowest trophic level; Involves autotrophs, chemotrophs and photoautotrophs
Autotrophs
Convert energy from environment into complex organic matter, then are used as respiratory substrates or for growth
Chemo/photoautotrophs
Use light/ chemicals to convert small inorganic molecules into complex organic ones
Consumers
Higher/est trophic levels; Feed on complex organic matter made by autotrophs and other organisms and use the products of digestion as respiratory substrates or for growth; 1’<2’<3’
Decomposers
Feed on waste or dead organsims to gain energy by digesting and respiring organic matter Recycling - returns inorganic ions to the air/soil
Why are ecosystems dynamic
Always changing due to many interlaced intearctions that any small change causes several others–> alters flow of biomass
Types of changes in ecosystems
Cyclical - repeated change e.g. seasons, day/night; Directional - in one direction e.g.global warming, erosion; Unpredictable/ erratic - no rhythm or constant direction e.g. volcanic eruption
Trophic level
Level at which an organism feeds
Components of an ecosystem
Habitat; Population; Community
Habitat
Where an organism lives
Population
Where all the members of a species living in some place at a given time
Community
All the populations of diff species who live in some place at a given time, who can interact w/ each other
Why are there fewer consumers at higher levels
Energy (biomass) is lost at each trophic level so unavailable to organism at next trophic level, therefore there’s less energy available to sustain living tissue
How is biomass lost
Cellular respiration - conversion to inorganic molecules such as CO2 and H2O; Excretory materials; Indigestible matter; Not everything is fit for consumption e.g. bones; Transferred at metabolic heat (movement)