living world

Question 1

what is an ecosystem

Answer 1

a natural system made up of plants animals and the environment interlinked, biotic and abiotic

Question 2

what is biotic

Answer 2

living

Question 3

what is abiotic

Answer 3

non living - temperature, water, light intensity, soil pH

Question 4

example of small scale ecosystem

Answer 4

pond, hedgerow, woodland

Question 5

fresh water pond

Answer 5

provides a variety of habitats for plants, animals, birds and insects
abiotic factors - light, water, oxygen availability
grasses, flowering plants, willow trees grow on damp ground around the pond, reeds grow in water at edges
pond bottom - little O2 or light, lots of shelter
decomposers and scavengers live here

Question 6

what is a producer

Answer 6

convert energy from sun into food (sugars)
usually plants who convert energy from sun via photosynthesis

Question 7

what are consumers

Answer 7

get energy from producers/ the consumers below them - snail who eats plants

Question 8

what are decomposers

Answer 8

break down plant and animal material and return nutrients to soil
bacteria, fungi

Question 9

what is a food chain

Answer 9

shows the direct links between producers and consumers in a simple line

Question 10

what is a food web

Answer 10

shows interrelationships between producers and consumers in a more complex way

Question 11

what is nutrient cycling

Answer 11

nutrients are foods that are used by plants or animals to grow
when plants animals die the decomposers help to recycle the nutrients making them available once again for the growth of plants and animals

Question 12

species in fresh water pond

Answer 12

frog tadpole
algae - energy from sunlight
sticklebacks
heron
perch - energy from small fish (sticklebacks) beetles, water fleas

Question 13

what causes change to ecosystems

Answer 13

changes to an ecosystem can occur naturally or result from human activities
globally - climate change
locally - changes to habitats like when a hedge is removed

Question 14

natural changes to an ecosystem

Answer 14

ecosystems can adapt to slow natural changes
rapid changes have impacts like droughts - plants will dry out and die, fish starve of oxygen and die

Question 15

human changes to an ecosystem

Answer 15

agricultural fertilisers - lead to eutrophication, nitrates increase growth of algae, deplete oxygen, fish die
ponds drained for farming - aquatic plants die, fish and other pond life die
woods cut down - destroy bird habitats, effects nutrient cycling
hedgerows removed - habitats destroyed, alters plant/animal balance
many farmers using less fertiliser, planting hedgerows, grass margins

Question 16

global ecosystems

Answer 16

or biomes
defined mainly by type of vegetation in the area and the weather

Question 17

polar ecosystem

Answer 17

located in arctic/antarctic
very low temperatures, dry conditions, mainy greenland and antarctica where temp can fall below -50 degrees C

Question 18

deciduous and coniferous forests

Answer 18

located 50-60 degrees north of the equator
deciduous shed leaves in winter to retain moisture
coniferous treesare evergreen to maximise photosynthesis during brief summer period

Question 19

temperate grassland

Answer 19

roughly 30-40 degrees north and south of equator, in land
hot summers, cold winters, mainly for grazing animals

Question 20

mediterranean

Answer 20

roughly 40-45 degrees north of equator
hot sunny dry summers, mild winters

Question 21

tropical grassland (savanna)

Answer 21

between 15-30 degrees north and south of the equator
tropical climate, distinct wet and dry seasons

Question 22

tundra

Answer 22

from arctic circle to about 60-70 degrees north
low-growing plants adapted to retain heat in cold windy and dry conditions
fragile, easily damaged