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Title: Ecology and the Environment for GCSE
Description: Definitions and functions with pictures.

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Ecology and the Environment
Ecosystems:





Habitat – The place where an organism lives
...

Community – All the different species in a habitat
...


Quadrats:









Place a 1m2 quadrat on the ground at a random point within the area you’re
investigating
...

Multiply the number of organisms by the total area of the habitat
...

The sample size affects the accuracy of the estimate – so the bigger your sample, the
more accurate your estimate of the total population is likely to be
...

Mark out a line in the area in the area you want to study
...


Pyramids of Number, Biomass and Energy:
Pyramids of Number:

Pyramids of Biomass:

Energy Transfer and Food Webs










Energy from the sun is the source of energy for nearly all life on earth
...
This
energy then works its way through the food chain as animals eat the plants and each
other
...

Some parts of food aren’t eaten by organisms so the energy isn’t taken in
...

A lot of the energy that does get taken in is used for processes that keep the animal
alive
...

Only about 10% of the total energy available becomes biomass
...


The Carbon Cycle:








There’s only one arrow going down
...

Green plants use carbon in CO2 in the air to make carbohydrates, fats and proteins
...

Both plants and animals respiration while the organisms are alive releases CO 2 back
into the air
...

When plants and animals decompose, they’re broken down by bacteria and fungi
...

Some useful plant and animal products are burned
...


Nitrogen Cycle:

Air Pollution:
Carbon Monoxide:




When fossil fuels are burnt without enough air supply the produce CO
...
If it combines with red blood cells, it prevents them from
carrying oxygen
...
Most modern cars are fitted with catalytic
converters that turn the CO into carbon dioxide, decreasing the amount of Co that’s
released into the atmosphere
...

The sulphur dioxide comes from sulphur impurities in the fossil fuels
...

This falls as acid rain
...

Acid rain kills tree
...


The Greenhouse Effect:


The temperature of the earth is a balance between the heat it gets from the sun and
the heat it radiates back into space
...

There are several different gases in the atmosphere that help to keep the heat in
...

Human beings are increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
...
This
has enhanced the greenhouse effect
...
Global warming is
a type of climate change and causes other types of climate change
...


Carbon Dioxide:



Humans release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere all the time as part of our
everyday lives – car exhausts, industrial processes, burning fossil fuels, etc
...
This affects the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere
...
g
...

The main man-made sources are rice growing and cattle rearing
...

A lot more is release from soils after fertiliser is used
...


CFCs:




Man-made chemicals that were once used in aerosol sprays and fridges
...

Most countries have agreed not to produce them anymore because they also
damage the ozone layer, which prevents UV radiation from reaching earth
...
g
...


Water Pollution and Deforestation:
Fertilisers:


Nitrates and phosphates are put into fields as mineral fertilisers
...

The result is eutrophication, which can cause serious damage to rivers and lakes
...

o When trees are removed, nutrients get leached away but don’t get replaced,
leaving infertile soil
...

o When trees are removed, soil can be washed away by the rain leaving
infertile ground
...

o When they're cut down rainwater can run straight into rivers – possibly
leading to flooding
...

o When they're cut down, this can make the local climate drier
...

o When trees are cut down and burnt, all the stored carbon is released at once
as CO2
...

o Fewer trees in the forest also mean that less photosynthesis takes place,
releasing less oxygen
...



Title: Ecology and the Environment for GCSE
Description: Definitions and functions with pictures.