 Insects fall in

 Air-borne
 Small, resalable insect
 Passive
 Insect collecting collecting
collecting
 Sucks insect into  Active
jar collection
 Mesh prevents
intake of insect

Quadrats: Count number of organisms in a small area, then

scale up using multiplication

Capture/Recapture: Animals are trapped, recorded and

marked in some harmless way. They’re then released. Traps
re-set a few days later. All organisms recorded, market and
unmarked.

Population sizes are always changing because:

 Animals are being born and dying
 Animals move in and out of the ecosystem
A small error in a sample multiplies to a large area when scaled to the actual area. To increase accuracy:
 The process is repeated several times
 The sample size is as large as possible
Assumptions of capture/recapture:
 There are no deaths, immigration or emigration
 Identical sampling methods are made each time so results can be compared
 The marking does not affect the animals survival chance

Ecosystem = the collection and community of all the organisms and their habitats in one type of area
e.g. woodland.
Habitat = the place where an organism or species lives in.

Community = All the populations of different organisms that live in the same habitat
Population = All the members of a single species that live in a habitat

The distribution of organisms can be mapped using string as a transect line. At regular intervals
along the line the number of organisms can be counted (animal) and % cover estimated (plants) on
each side of the line using a five point scale. The results are plotted to give kite diagrams

The distribution of organisms within a habitat can be affected by the presence of other living
organisms as well as physical factors. I.e. blue whales will swim where there is a lot of krill, and will
not live outside of water.
Natural ecosystems with a large biodiversity provides
 Wide variety of food
 Food throughout the year
 Shelter at a range of levels
 A natural environment free from artificial fertilisers or pesticides
Artificial ecosystems with a small biodiversity provides
 Limited food supply
 Small number and range of species
All ecosystems are self-supporting, apart from an energy source, which is usually the sun. Plants use
the sun’s energy to perform photosynthesis, and create food chains, which can develop into food
webs. This shows that all animals directly or indirectly depend on plants for food. Plants, in return,
depend on animals for pollination and seed dispersal. Elements such as nitrogen and oxygen are
recycled, but plants and animals depend on each other for supplies of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Kite diagrams show zonation of plants and animals across a habitat. Zonation occurs because of
abiotic factors such as:
 Availability of water
 Exposure
 pH
 Temperature
Simple, small plants such as mosses can withstand dry, exposed conditions and so grow near a
footpath. Other plants like ferns are more adapted to wetter conditions, and so grow off the path. The
gradual change in abiotic factors causes zonation.