Ecosystems

Question 1

what is an ecosystem

Answer 1

an ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms an their environment

Question 2

define and name a producer

Answer 2

plants which use photosynthesis fo energy e.g. grass

Question 3

define and name a consumer

Answer 3

consumers get there energy from the sugars produced by the producers. a pons snail is a good example of a consumer because it eats plants

Question 4

define and name a decomposer

Answer 4

Decomposers break down plant and animal material and return the nutrients to the soil. Bacteria and fungi are good examples of decomposers

Question 5

define food chain

Answer 5

a food chain shows the direct links (hence the term ‘chain’) between producers and consumers in the form of a simple line

Question 6

define food web

Answer 6

a food web shows the interelationships between producers and consumers in a rather more complex way hence the term web rather than chain

Question 7

define biotic and give an example

Answer 7

living e.g. plants

Question 8

define abiotic and give an example

Answer 8

non living e.g. rocks

Question 9

what is the small scale ecosystem called that we studied

Answer 9

epping forest

Question 10

what are secondary consumers

Answer 10

secondary consumers eat the primary consumers and are non as carnivores

Question 11

what causes change in an ecosystem

Answer 11

• humans
• illness/disease
• change in weather
• deforestation

Question 12

where are tropical rainforests located

Answer 12

located between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of Capricorn

Question 13

true or false?
in a rainforest there is a dry season

Answer 13

false there is no dry season

Question 14

true or false?
there is a distinct wet season

Answer 14

true
although it does rain all throughout the year there is a distinct wet season which lasts about 6 months

Question 15

what is the climate like throughout the year

Answer 15

hot and wet all throughout the year

Question 16

why is rainfall so high in the rainforest

Answer 16

because of the global atmospheric circulation which causes an area of low pressure to form at the equator. the rising air creates clouds and triggers heavy rain

Question 17

why do plants have shallow roots

Answer 17

because the nutrients are found at the surface of the soil

Question 18

what is leaching

Answer 18

when heavy rainfall dissolves the nutrients. It leaves behind an infertile re, iron-rich soil called latosol

Question 19

what is the simple rainforest nutrients cycle

Answer 19

~ litter ~ biomass ~ soil ~

Question 20

what are the main components of a tropical rainforest

Answer 20

climate, soil, vegetation, animals

Question 21

what does being interconnected mean

Answer 21

a change in one component can disrupt the balance in the whole system of components

Question 22

what are the importance of drip tips

Answer 22

so that when there are very heavy rain patches, the water can slide of the leaf meaning it won’t snap in half

Question 23

how are epithets adapted

Answer 23

instead of getting there nutrients from soil they have adapted to get from water and air. This is because they live high in the canopy in attempt to reach max sunlight

Question 24

what are the significance of buttress roots

Answer 24

they are massive ridges which help support the base of the tall trees and help transport water. The nutrients aren’t deep into the soil and so the buttress root can suck up the nutrients