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A LOCAL ECOSYSTEM
What is this topic about?
To keep it as simple as possible, (K.I.S.S.) this topic involves:
1. DISTRIBUTION & ABUNDANCE OF ORGANISMS
2. BIOTIC & ABIOTIC FACTORS
3. ROLES & RELATIONSHIPS
4. THE FLOW OF ENERGY & MATTER
5. ADAPTATIONS TO ENVIRONMENT
6. HUMAN IMPACTS
Ecology
Population
Ecosystem
sun
AN AUSTRALIAN ECOSYSTEM
Abiotic
Factors
Predator
&
Prey
Quadrats
&
CaptureRecapture
Transect
Studies
Parasite
&
Host
Biotic
Factors
Commensalism
Factors of
an Ecosystem
Distribution
&
Abundance
Mutualism
Roles
&
Relationships
Allelopathy
A LOCAL
ECOSYSTEM
Human
Impacts
Competition
Flow of
Energy & Matter
Adaptations
to
Environment
Biomass
Pyramids
Loss of Habitat
Pollution
Eutrophication
Alien Species
Structural
Physiological
Behavioural
Cycling of
matter.
Flow of Energy
Food
Chains
Food
Webs
Distribution
Transect Study
An animal that is
usually found in tree
tops may be there to
find its
food, or
may be
escaping
its
enemies.
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
3 metres
Crabs
common
Brown bubble weed
Abundance
Abundance refers to how many individuals are in the population
of a species in the ecosystem.
In some cases it can be easy enough to count
the population directly.
For example, to find the abundance of large
trees in a small forest, simply walk back-andforth in a grid pattern and count as you go.
It would be impractical to
try to count all the
barnacles on a seashore.
Sampling the population is
much faster.
Preliminary Biology Topic 1 Ecosystems
copyright 2005-2008 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Quadrat Sampling
KEY:
Quadrat
drops
8 metres
Plant
studied
1 m2
Study
Area
= 8x8
= 64 m2
Capture-Recapture Sampling
The obvious problem with the Quadrat method is
that it does not work with animals that will run, fly,
or swim away from you.
1. Capture a number
of the species being
studied.
2. Mark or tag
the animals
Example:
1st Capture is
50 individuals
.
it..
wa
= 50 x 60
3
= 1,000 individuals
Limitations
This technique relies on the tagged individuals mixing randomly
back into the population and being re-caught again at random.
Sometimes this doesnt happen.
Example:
Out of 60 in the 2nd capture, 3 are marked. So,
5% (1/20) of the 2nd capture are re-c
captures.
For example, intelligent mammals learn to avoid the traps or nets, or may even enjoy being caught (for the
food in a trap) and learn to seek out the traps. Either way, this makes the estimate inaccurate.
Preliminary Biology Topic 1 Ecosystems
copyright 2005-2008 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Worksheet 1
Distribution & Abundance
Worksheet 2
Name....................................
Capture-Recapture Problems
1.
Abundance of starfish on a rock platform was
studied by the quadrat method. The quadrat was
a plastic frame with an area of 0.25 m2.
The
rock
platform
was
a
rectangle
approximately 20m x 30m.
3.
A capture-recapture study was carried out on
the lizard population on an island. In the first
capture exercise, 230 lizards were captured,
tagged and released.
A week later, 156 lizards were captured. Of these,
18 had tags from the 1st capture.
4.
To estimate the possum population in area, 65
possums were captured unharmed, tagged and
released. A week later 48 possums were
captured. Of these, 12 had tags.
2.
A farmer wished to estimate the population
abundance of a noxious weed species in a
paddock measuring 300 x 400 metres. He used a
rectangular wire quadrat frame 1.0 x 0.5 metre.
The number of target weeds in 20 quadrat
drops were: 2, 8, 0, 15, 11, 0, 2, 1, 0, 9, 16, 3, 7,
13, 0, 1, 7, 0, 8, 2.
Worksheet 3
Name....................................
Multiple Choice
5. (4 marks)
The following is a students sketch diagram of a
transect done to study the distribution of 4 plant
species J, K, L and M in a certain area.
2.
Blue periwinkles
Vertical
scale
exaggerated
Pond
Key
Crabs
common
Creek
K
6. (3 marks)
Using a capture-recapture method to estimate
the population of trout fish in a lake, the following
results were obtained:
1st capture: 537 trout tagged & released.
2nd capture: 832 captured.
Of these 45 were tagged.
To the nearest 1,000, how many trout are in the
lake?
Show your working or reasoning.
7. (6 marks)
To estimate the population size for a small plant
species living in a field, a quadrat study was
carried out. The field was rectangular, measuring
120m x 85m.
a) Calculate
i) the area of the field.
ii) the average number of plants per quadrat.
Biotic Factors
Abiotic Factors
(biotic = living)
examples...
(non-living)
Availability of water
Availability of oxygen
Light intensity
Temperature range
Soil characteristics
...and many more.
Food organisms
Predators
Disease organisms
Competitors
Buoyancy
STREAMLINING
Bony skeleton
supports body
against gravity
Strong
trunk to
hold leaves
up to catch
light
Availability of Gases
(oxygen & carbon dioxide)
Since the air is about 20% oxygen, it is readily available in terrestrial environments.
Carbon dioxide (needed by plants for photosynthesis) is only 0.04% of air,
so land plants are limited by this.
These gases do NOT dissolve well in water, so the concentration of gases
in aquatic environments is very low, and gets lower as the water gets warmer.
For this reason, fishs gills have to be highly efficient to extract the
necessary oxygen, and are far better than our lungs for gas exchange.
Preliminary Biology Topic 1 Ecosystems
copyright 2005-2008 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Temperature Variation
Availability of Water
Conserving water is
critical for survival in
a desert environment
Osmosis sucks
water from body.
Must drink
constantly to
replace water loss
FRESH WATER
FISH
Absorbs water due to
osmosis
Must
excrete
water
constantly
Availability of Light
Red light is
absorbed near
the surface
Many seaweeds
have special
pigments to
efficiently absorb
the available
light.
Most
seaweeds
are not the
familiar
green of land
plants. Many
are brown or
red because
they contain
special
pigments to
absorb the
dominant
blue
wavelength
of light they receive.
10
Worksheet 4
Biotic & Abiotic Factors
Name....................................
Buoyancy
is
a
measure
of
g).................................. ability. Water is
much h)....................... (more/less)
buoyant than air. Terrestrial animals
and
plants
need
strong
i)............................... structures to
withstand gravity, while aquatic
organisms are supported by the water.
11
Predator - Prey
This describes situations where one animal eats
another.
examples...
Predator
Dingo
Lion
Spider
Dolphin
eats
eats
eats
eats
Prey
Wallaby
Zebra
Insect
Fish
Commensalism
Commensalism is a relationship in which one
organism benefits while the other is neither harmed
nor helped.
Population Size
(ABUNDANCE)
PREY SPECIES
Population
peaks
PREDATOR SPECIES
TIME (years)
Notice that
Predator abundance is always lower than prey.
(Reasons for this are explained later)
The peaks and troughs of the predators
population always occur after those of the prey.
What happens:
1. The numbers of the prey species increase
because of its breeding cycle, or seasonal increase
in available food.
2. This provides more food for predators, who
survive in greater numbers and reproduce more
sucessfully.
3. As predator numbers increase, more prey get
eaten and so the prey population decreases.
4. As prey numbers decline, less predators can
survive, so their numbers decline.
12
Mutualism
In a mutualistic relationship, both species benefit.
Mutualism is much more widespread in nature than is
generally realized.
The classic example are insects (e.g. bee) and many
flowering plants. The insects total food supply is
nectar and pollen from the flowers. As it gathers its
food the plants gain the essential service of pollination
of their flowers. Both benefit so profoundly that neither
can survive without the other.
Parasite - Host
Parasitism is a relationship in which one organism feeds on another
without killing it, or even necessarily harming it significantly.
Allelopathy
is a relationship found particularly among
plants and fungi, in which one organism
directly inhibits the growth and development
of others by releasing toxins. The famous
antibiotic penicillin was discovered in the
fungus Penicillium because of its inhibiting
effect on the growth of bacteria.
Some trees and shrubs (including the pest
weed lantana) release inhibiting chemicals
from their roots. These inhibitors slow
down or prevent the germination and growth
of the seeds and seedlings of other plants.
Preliminary Biology Topic 1 Ecosystems
copyright 2005-2008 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
13
Competition
Dingo
It is known from
fossils that the
Thylacine
(Tasmanian tiger)
was once widespread
as one of the main
predators on
mainland Australia.
However, its numbers
rapidly declined after
the introduction of
the dingo from Asia
about 10,000 years
ago.
Thylacine
Extinct
Relationships
Mutualism
is
when
2
organisms
m).............................................................................
A good example is n).................... and
.....................
Many grazing animals get help to digest the
tough fibres of plant food from mutualistic
relationship with o)....................................... living
in their gut.
Some plants and fungi produce chemical toxins
which p)............................................ the growth of
other organisms. This relationship is called
q)......................................................
A
parasite
is
an
organism
which
g)............................ on its host without
h).................................... A good example is the
i)............................................. which lives in the
gut of its host, eating the digested food. Other
parasites such as j)...................................... and
.................................... feed on the hosts blood.
Preliminary Biology Topic 1 Ecosystems
copyright 2005-2008 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Dingo
introduced
TIME (years)
Worksheet 5
Dingo
Thylacine
Original population
reasonably stable
Worksheet 6
Multiple Choice
Name....................................
4. (4 marks)
Construct a simple table and fill it in to compare the
terrestrial and aquatic environments with respect
to
viscosity
buoyancy
temperature variation
and
availability of light
Worksheet 7
Name....................................
Multiple Choice
1. The following graph shows the changes in
population numbers for a prey species and 4 other
species. Which one (A, B, C or D) is most likely to be
the predator?
3. (5 marks)
a) Define the term mutualism.
A
B
ABUNDANCE
Prey
species
C
D
Time
4. (5 marks)
In nature, allelopathy is a method of beating your
competition.
Discuss this statement briefly, giving definitions
and examples as appropriate.
A. Mutualism
B. Commensalism
C. Allelopathy
D. Competition
Preliminary Biology Topic 1 Ecosystems
copyright 2005-2008 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
15
CO2
Respiration
Cellular Respiration
Photosynthesis
O2
PLANTS
ANIMALS
Glucose + Oxygen
(sugar)
Major energy
compound in
foods
energy transfer
INPUT
PLANTS
capture light energy
during
Photosynthesis
ATP
6CO2 + 6H2O
produced by plants
waste
heat
energy
Energy-c
carrying
chemical used in
all cells to power
life processes.
OUTPUT
Waste
products
C6H12O6 + 6O2
Ligh
t
Carbon + Water
Dioxide
in air
SUN
ATP
Food Chains
Plants are food PRODUCERS.
They capture light energy by the process of photosynthesis, and store it as the chemical energy in food.
All other organisms are CONSUMERS of food. They rely on eating the plants or other animals.
So, in any ecosystem there is a chain of feeding, based on the plants... a food chain.
is eaten by
is eaten by
GRASS
KANGAROO
DINGO
Plant
Herbivore
Carnivore
Producer
1st order
Consumer
2nd order
Consumer
1st Trophic
2nd Trophic
level
level
(trophic refers to feeding)
3rd Trophic
level
NOTES:
1. The arrows in a food chain show the direction that the energy flows. The arrows must never be reversed.
2. Note the different ways to describe each organisms role in the chain. Try not to confuse the different methods...
e.g. a 1st Order Consumer is at the 2nd Trophic Level... etc.
17
Food Webs
Although we can best understand the flow of energy by a food chain,
in fact simple food chains never exist by themselves in nature.
Kangaroos dont just eat grass, and dingoes dont just eat wallabies.
The real feeding relationships in an ecosystem can only be described by a food web
which is made up of many inter-connected food chains.
large fish
octopus
starfish
small fish
mussels
limpets
periwinkles
chitons
zooplankton
(microscopic animals)
phytoplankton
green algae
(microscopic plants)
Question:
If a disease wiped out all the mussels in a
particular area, what effect might this have on
the chiton population?
Answer:
(Chitons are not directly connected to mussels,
so you might think thered be no effect, but...)
Question:
Which organism is at the highest Trophic Level
above?
OR
Without mussels to eat, the octopus might eat
more starfish. This could mean less chitons
being eaten by starfish so the chiton population
could increase.
Answer:
The large fish, which is at the 5th trophic level.
Question:
What might be the effect on the mussel population
if there was an increase in the octopus population?
Answer:
If there were more octopus they will eat more
mussels, so the mussel population would
decrease.
Preliminary Biology Topic 1 Ecosystems
copyright 2005-2008 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
Biomass
You are what you eat goes the old saying, and it is
literally true that every molecule of your body is built
from the chemicals that you have eaten as food over
your lifetime. Your body weight is your Biomass...
the mass (weight) of living flesh in you.
C6H12O6 + 6O2
PYRAMID.
GRASS
PYRAMID OF
BIOMASS
&
ENERGY
DINGO
4th
Trophic
Level
3rd
Trophic
Level
KANGAROO
10%
90% of Biomass
and Energy lost
Py
ram
id
sh
ap
e
10%
1st
Trophic
Level
2nd
Trophic
Level
Biomass
of
Herbivores
90% of Biomass
and Energy lost
10%
available
Biomass of Producers
(Plants)
90% of Biomass
and Energy lost
This is why very few food chains in nature have more than 5 or 6 trophic levels...
the available food & energy becomes too small to support higher level predators.
Preliminary Biology Topic 1 Ecosystems
copyright 2005-2008 keep it simple science
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
19
Worksheet 8
Multiple Choice
Name....................................
1.
Which of the following statements about ecosystems
is generally true?
A. Energy is re-cycled, while chemicals have to be
constantly supplied.
B. Both matter and energy are re-cycled.
C. Matter is re-cycled, while energy has to be
constantly supplied.
D. Both matter and energy have to be
constantly supplied.
2.
The essential product of cellular respiration is:
A. Glucose
B. Oxygen
C. Carbon Dioxide
D. ATP
6. (8 marks)
a) Write a word equation to summarize the process
of cellular respiration.
3.
In the following food chain:
algae > limpet
fish
> shark
7. (4 marks)
In a seaside rockpool, the total biomass of all
visible plants, herbivores and carnivores was
estimated as follows: Plants 10 kg
Hebivores 20 kg
Carnivores 2 kg
4.
Soil bacteria usually have the role in ecosystems of:
A. Decomposers
B. Disease causing parasites
C. Producer organisms
D. Epiphytes
5.
In a certain area, the biomass of species is:
Biomass (kg)
Species
P
10,000
Q
5,000,000
R
100,000
S
500
20
Worksheet 8
Continued
Name....................................
8. (5 marks)
The following observations were made about the feeding relationships in an Australian
rural ecosystem. Use the information to construct a food web diagram.
Honey-eater birds feed on the nectar and pollen of native shrubs. These shrubs are also eaten by insects
and wallabies. Grass is eaten by insects, rabbits and wallabies, while mice feed on the grass seeds. Frogs
eat insects, while dingoes prey on rabbits and wallabies. Kookaburras hunt snakes and frogs. The snakes
feed on frogs, mice and take the eggs and babies from honey-eater nests.
9. (8 marks)
From your diagram for Q24 answer the following.
a) Name three 2nd-order consumers.
b) Name an organism which occupies more than one trophic level.
c) Write the longest food chain within this web.
d) Name 2 organisms who could well be competitors.
e) There is a world-wide trend of decline in amphibian populations. If the frog population
in this food web was drastically reduced, what might happen to the:
i) insect population?
ii) mouse population?
f) Comment on a human impact apparent from the food web for this ecosystem.
21
Adaptations
For example,
the black bear
of North
America has a
thick coat of fur.
This is a
structural
adaptation to its
environment.
The fur helps
insulate the
body to keep it
warm in the cold climate in which it lives.
If it becomes
too hot it will
move into the
shade to cool
itself.
For example:
is the magpies colour scheme an adaptation which
helps it survive because it gives:
or
or
or
camouflage?
temperature control?
sexual attraction for mating?
identification, to keep a group together?
Only careful study will reveal the truth
22
Worksheet 9
Flow of Energy and Matter
Name....................................
Worksheet 10
Adaptations
Name....................................
23
Eutrophication
Loss of Habitat
Very simply, humans clear forests, fill wetlands and
divert streams to make room for our towns and cities
and for our agriculture. For example, only about 3%
of Australian rainforests remain, from those present
200 hundred years ago.
Pollution
Prickly Pear
Cactus
Biological Magnification
Worksheet 11
Multiple Choice
Name....................................
1.
One of the adaptations visible in the
North American beaver is a large, broad,
flat tail.
4. (4 marks)
a) Explain what
adaptation.
meant
by
an
is
2.
Eutrophication is when:
A. polluting chemicals in the
environment become more
concentrated up a food chain.
B. aquatic habitats suffer from algal
blooms due to over-fertilization.
C. gases from burning of fossil fuels
cause waterways to become acidic.
D. an introduced species overpopulates an ecosystem.
5. (3 marks)
Outline a human impact on a named type
of ecosystem.
3.
Many animals seek shade when it
becomes too hot in the Sun. This is an
example of an adaptation which is
probably:
A.
B.
C.
D.
structural.
physiological.
behavioural.
learned.
25
A LOCAL
ECOSYSTEM
26
Answer Section
Worksheet 3
1. B
Worksheet 1
3. D
4. A
a) where
b) interacting
c) food
d) hiding / escaping
e) transect
f) straight line
g) which species are present
h) Abundance
i) quadrats
j) average number
k) study area
l) doing more quadrat drops
m) Capture - Recapture
n) marking/tagging
o) releasing
p) capture
q) marked/tagged
r) total population
s) mixing randomly back into the population
Population
= 537 x 832
45
= 9,929
To nearest 1000, Estimate = 10,000 trout.
7.
a) i) Area = length x width = 120 x 85 = 10,200 m2.
ii) Average = (8+14+2+5+9+22+3+0+12+7) / 10
= 82 / 10
= 8.2 plants / quadrat
Worksheet 2
Quadrat Study Problems
1.
Average per quadrat = 46 / 10 = 4.6
Study area = 20 x 30 = 600 m2
b)
2.
Average per quadrat = 105 / 20 = 5.25
Paddock area = 300 x 400 = 120,000 m2
Worksheet 4
Biotic Factors
prey
diseases
predators
food plants
competitors
3.
Estimated = 1st capture x 2nd capture
Population
no.marked in 2nd capture
= 230 x 156
18
= 1,993
Estimated population 2,000 lizards
Abiotic Factors
light
oxygen
water
soil
temperature
exposure
acidity
4.
Estimated = 1st capture x 2nd capture
Population
no.marked in 2nd capture
= 65 x 48
12
= 260 possums
If the possums enjoy being trapped then the
recapture sample contains a disproportionately HIGH
number of tagged animals, who have come back to
the traps deliberately. Mathematically, if the number
12 is too high, then the answer (260) is too low, so
the real population is higher than the estimate.
2. B
27
Worksheet 8
Worksheet 5
1. C 2. D 3. B 4. A 5. D
6.
a) Glucose + Oxygen
Carbon + Water + ATP
Dioxide
b) i) The Sun
ii) Energy is captured by plants in photosynthesis.
iii) As food (containing chemical potential energy)
7.
a) No. Stable ecosystems always have about 10
times more biomass of plants than herbivores.
The rockpool has less plant biomass than
herbivores. This is not sustainable.
a) predator
b) prey
c) decrease
d) more prey will be eaten
e) lower
f) later / after
g) feeds
h) killing it
i) tapeworm
j) ticks, mosquitoes, leeches
k) commensalism
l) remora (sucker fish)
m) both gain a benefit
n) bee & flowering plants
o) bacteria / protozoa
p) inhibit / slow
q) allelopathy
r) the same resource(s)
s) one survives and thrives, the other declines.
(one wins, one loses)
Worksheet 6
1. C
2. D
4.
3. A
Terrestrial
Environment
Aquatic
Environment
Viscosity
low
high
Buoyancy
low
high
Temp.variation high
Light avail.
good
low
gets less with
depth
snakes
frogs
dingoes
Worksheet 7
1. C
honey
eaters
2. A
3.
a) Mutualism is a relationship between 2
different species in which both gain a benefit.
mice
native shrubs
wallabies
rabbits
grass
9.
a) snakes, frogs, dingoes
b) snake or kookaburra
c)nat.shrubs>insects>frogs >snakes >kookaburras
d) wallabies and rabbits (best answer)
(Note: other possible answers are not as good.
e.g. snakes & kookaburras both eat frogs, but
kooks also eat the snake, so they are not just
competing for frogs.
Honey-eaters and insects both eat shrubs, but
different parts of the plant, so not competing.
Same with mice v rabbits... not eating the same
parts of plants.)
insects
Worksheet 9
Worksheet 11
a) re-cycled
b) replaced / input
c) Sun
d) plants
e) photosynthesis
f) food (glucose)
g) growing, reproducing, responding etc
h) cellular respiration
i) oxygen
j) water & carbon dioxide
k) ATP
l) food chain
m) producers
n) consumers
o) re-cycle
p) inter-connect
q) food web
r) biomass
s) herbivores
t) pyramid
1. D
3. C
4.
a) An adaptation is a special feature of an
organism, which helps it to survive in its
environment.
b) i) A thick fur coat, or feathers, or layers of
blubber (fat) all act as heat insulators.
ii) Large, broad leaves capture what light is
present.
iii) Kidneys that produce small amounts of
concentrated urine, so less water is lost by
excretion.
Worksheet 10
a) adaptations
c) streamlined
e) physiological
g) shiver
i) concentrated
k) behavioural
m) shade / shelter
2. B
b) insulates it
d) viscosity
f) sweat
h) small
j) conserve
l) sunbake
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