Ecology

• Biocumilation


  The build up of toxins in a food chain that can lead to death
• Impact on food webs


  if one population decreases then another animals population will increase
• decomposition


  process of decaying
• factors affecting decay


  -temperature

  -Water/moisture

  -oxygen
• compost bins


  -dark colors absorb sunlight

  -should be in a sunny place

  -small holes to ensure good oxygen supply

  -Water to ensure good water supply
• decaying


  When an organism dies and then is broken down releasing nutrients back into the soil
• decomposer: an organism that break down dead organic materials
• detrivores- eat dead organisms and waste
• 7 life process:

  M-movement

  R-respiration

  S-sensitivity

  G-growth

  R-reproduction

  E-excretion

  N-nutrition
• each organism is living therefore energy will be lost due to the 7 life processes
• food web


  multiple food chains interlinked
• food chain


  the sequence of transfers of matter and energy in the form of food from organism to organism
• Trophic levels


  -Producer

  -Primary consumer

  -Secondary consumer

  -tertiary consumer

  -quantity consumer
• What do food chains show?

  The transfer of energy from the producer to the top predetor
• random sampling


  Random sampling is used to select a sample that is unbiased. Within each area, every part of the area must have an equal chance of being chosen. Random sampling with quadrats is used to examine differences between contrasting habitats within an habitat.
• method of random sampling

  -create a grid on that specific area

  -Each grid is 1m^2

  -Give each square a number

  -use a random number generator to get a number

  -place the quadrat in 10 1m^2(to get a good-sized sample)

  -count the number of organisms in each quadrat

  -Work out the average

  -find out which organism has the highest population
• Estimation


  -work out the area of land

  -divide by the number of quadrats placed

  -multiply the value by the total number of organisms counted
• number of quadrats that will fit in a field= area of field/area of quadrat
• Classification


  organising organisms into groups based on similarity
• adaptation


  features an organism has to survive to a new enviornment
• natural selection


  Natural selection is a theory of evolution by Charles Darwin
• Key stages of natural selection

  • Genetic variation
  • Change in environment
  • competition
  • natural selection
  • inheritance
  • evolution
• 5 kingdoms of life

  Animal

  plant

  fungi

  Bacteria

  protisits
• order

  Kingdom-phylum-class-order-family-genus-species