The whole topic on one page. Each branch is one subtopic; read it out loud and try to explain every word.
Ecosystems and material cycles
Communities
- Levels of organisationOrganismPopulationCommunityEcosystem
- Abiotic factorsTemperatureLightWaterPollutants
- Biotic factorsCompetitionPredation
- InterdependenceFoodShelterPollination
- ParasitismParasite benefitsHost harmed
- MutualismBoth benefitRoot nodule bacteria
Fieldwork
- QuadratsRandom placementCount or percentage cover
- Belt transectRegular intervalsEnvironmental gradient
- Measure factorsLight meterMoisture meter
- Estimate populationMean per quadratScale up to area
- ReliabilityMany quadratsMean
Energy transferTriple only
- Energy lostTriple onlyHeat (respiration)MovementWasteUneaten parts
- Fewer organisms higher upTriple only
- Short food chainsTriple only
- Pyramid of biomassTriple onlyWide baseNarrows upward
- EfficiencyTriple onlyTransferred ÷ available× 100
Human impacts
- Fish farmingFood supplyWaste pollutionDisease spread
- Non-indigenous speciesOut-compete nativesReduce biodiversity
- EutrophicationNitrates inAlgal bloomOxygen fallsFish die
- Benefits of biodiversityStable ecosystemsFood and medicines
- ConservationProtect habitatsCaptive breeding
- ReforestationHabitatsAbsorbs CO₂Less erosion
- Food securityTriple onlyPopulationMeat and fishPestsBiofuels
Material cycles
- Cycling of materialsAbiotic to bioticDecomposers return
- Carbon cyclePhotosynthesisRespirationDecayCombustion
- DecomposersBacteriaFungi
- Water cycleEvaporationTranspirationCondensationPrecipitation
- Potable waterSafe to drinkDesalination
- Nitrogen cycleNitrogen fixationNitrificationDenitrificationDecay
- Replacing nitratesFertilisersCrop rotation
Indicators and decayTriple only
- Polluted water speciesTriple onlyHigher tierBloodwormSludgeworm
- Clean water speciesTriple onlyHigher tierFreshwater shrimpStonefly
- Air quality speciesTriple onlyHigher tierLichensBlackspot on roses
- Food preservationTriple onlyColdDryLess oxygen
- CompostingTriple onlyWarmMoistOxygen
- Rate of decayTriple onlyChange in mass ÷ timePercentage loss