Environment

Question 1

What is a producer?

Answer 1

Produces its own food

Question 2

Which direction do arrows point in a food chain?

Answer 2

Direction of the flow of energy, e.g. from producer to primary consumer

Question 3

What are usually producers?

Answer 3

Plants and algae

Question 4

What is a primary consumer?

Answer 4

Organisms that eats producers

Question 5

What is a secondary consumer?

Answer 5

Eats primary consumers

Question 6

What are herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores?

Answer 6

Herbivore – plant eater​

Carnivore – meat eater​

Omnivore – eats both plants and animals – can inhabit more than one trophic level

Question 7

What are decomposers?

Answer 7

Microorganisms that that feed on dead animals, plants, and waste. Releases carbon and minerals back into atmosphere and soil

Question 8

What is a trophic level?

Answer 8

The position of an organism in the food chain

Question 9

Which type of pyramid is always pyramid shaped?

Answer 9

Biomass

Question 10

Which type of organism is at the bottom of a pyramid of number or biomass?

Answer 10

Producer

Question 11

How do you calculate efficiency between trophic levels?

Answer 11

efficiency = energy transferred to next level
————————————————— x100​
total energy

energy transferred to next level/total energy x 100 = efficiency

Question 12

What is biodiversity?

Answer 12

Variety of species in an ecosystem

Question 13

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 13

A system that includes all living organisms (biotic) in an area and non-living (abiotic) factors​

Question 14

Advantages and disadvantages of intensive farming?

Answer 14

Advantage – increased yield​

Disadvantage – chemical pollution – run off, animal welfare concerns, antibiotic resistance

Question 15

What can be pollution and how is it harmful?

Answer 15

Pollution kills plants and animals which can reduce biodiversity​

• In water, from sewage, fertiliser or toxic chemicals​
• In air, from smoke and acidic gas​
• On land, from landfill and from toxic chemicals

Question 16

What is an indicator species?

Answer 16

An indicator species is an organism whose presence or absence is used by scientists to determine if an area is polluted.​

e.g. Lichen on Trees, blood worms in waterways​

Pollution also indicated by pH and oxygen levels.

Question 17

What is bioaccumalation?

Answer 17

When heavy metals or pesticides, which cannot be broken down in animals tissues, are washed into soils and rivers and pass through food chains. These chemicals reach a toxic level in organisms.​

When toxins build up in a food chain due to pesticides washing into soils and river and pass through food chains.

Question 18

How does an algal bloom kill fish and stuff?

Answer 18

• Algae block light
• Plants on pond floor die
• Bacteria eat dead plant
• Bacteria use up all oxygen
• Fish are die

Question 19

How do microorganisms cause decay?

Answer 19

Micro-organisms digest materials from their environment for life processes. These materials are returned to the environment either in waste products or when living things die and decay. When decay is prevented, fossil fuels form. ​

They digest materials from their environment for life processes
Materials return to the environment in waste products or when living things die and decay
If decay prevented, fossil fuels form

Question 20

Describe the carbon cycle

Answer 20

Carbon is passed from the atmosphere, as carbon dioxide, to living things. It is then passed from one organism to the next in complex molecules, and returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide again. ​

1. From atmosphere, carbon passed to living things as co2
2. Then passed from one organism to the next in complex molecules
3. Returns to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide again

Question 21

Describe the nitrogen cycle

Answer 21

OK so basically:

1. Nitrogen from air or decomposing dead stuff is turned into ammonia by bacteria
2. This is turned into nitrates by bacteria
3. Some of this is turned back into air nitrogen by denitrifying bacteria (cringe; we don’t want that)
4. The rest, plants absorb nitrates through roots (wahey very cool)
5. Becomes amino acids and protein and stuff
6. Plants eaten by animals
7. Waste from animals (urea) happens
8. cycle continues when urea is turned into ammonia again

Nitrogen compounds found in cells include proteins. Nitrogen from the air is converted into soluble ions absorbed by plant roots by bacteria.

It forms part of nitrogen compounds in the plants, and is then passed from one organism to the next by eating. It is returned to the atmosphere as nitrogen gas by bacteria after organism dies.

Denitrifying bacteria – anaerobic – farmers try to prevent. Turns nitrates into nitrogen.

1. Nitrogen from is air is converted into soluble ions
2. They are absorbed by plant roots by bacteria
3. Forms part of nitrogen compounds in the plants
4. Passed from one organism to the next by eating
5. Returns to the atmosphere as nitrogen gas by bacteria after organism dies

Question 22

What non natural thing can put nitrogen into soil?

Answer 22

Fertilizers

Lightning is a natural way though