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Living World Flashcards

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1
Q

What Is an ecosystem

A

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment

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2
Q

What are the two main types of ecosystems?

A

Natural ecosystems and artificial ecosystems

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3
Q

What is a biome?

A

A biome is a large scale global ecosystem such as tropical rainforest or tundra defined by climate vegetation animal life

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4
Q

Name three examples of terrestrial biomes

A

Tropical rainforest, desert, tundra

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5
Q

What is the difference between a producer and a consumer in an ecosystem?

A

A producer makes his own food through photosynthesis while a consumer eats other organisms for energy

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6
Q

What role do decomposers play in ecosystems?

A

Decomposes breakdown dead material and recycle nutrients back into the soil

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7
Q

What are the main factors that affect the distribution of ecosystems?

A

Climate, latitude, altitude, soil type and human activity

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8
Q

Explain how latitude affects the distribution of ecosystems

A

Latitude effect climate; areas near the equator of warmer and wetter while polar regions are colder and drier

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9
Q

What is a food chain

A

A food chain shows the direct feeding relationships between organisms, from producers to top predators

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10
Q

What is the water cycle and how does it affect ecosystems

A

The water cycle moves water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and run-off, it influences plant growth and availability of freshwater ecosystems

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11
Q

What is bio diversity and why is it important in ecosystem?

A

the variety of life in ecosystem it increases resilience to change and supports ecosystem services like pollination and nutrient cycling

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12
Q

Describe the process of photosynthesis and its importance to ecosystems

A

Photosynthesis is when plants convert sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen is supports life by providing energy for food chains

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13
Q
A
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14
Q

What is the carbon cycle and how does it impact ecosystems?

A

The carbon cycle moves carbon through the atmosphere, living organisms, oceans and rocks it affects climate and plant growth

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15
Q

How does human activity affect ecosystems?

A

Humans can damage ecosystems through deforestation, pollution, climate change and urban development leading to loss of biodiversity

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16
Q

What are the consequences of deforestation to an ecosystem?

A

Loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, disruption of water and nutrient cycles and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

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17
Q

Explain the concept of adaption in ecosystems

A

Adaption is when organisms develop traits to survive in their environment, such as thick fur in cold climate or wax leaves and dry areas

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18
Q

How does temperature affect the types of organism in the ecosystem?

A

Temperature influences what plants and animals can survive in an area for example cold climates support fewer species adapted to harsh conditions

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19
Q

What is the difference between a food web and a food chain?

A

A food chain is a single path of energy flow whilst a food web shows all the interconnected feeding relationships in eco system

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20
Q

What is the role of plants in an ecosystem?

A

Plants produce energy through photosynthesis provide oxygen create habits and form the base of most food chains

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21
Q

Which ecosystem would a camel belong in?

A

Desert

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22
Q

How is a camel adapted for the desert?

A

Hump, long eyelashes, nostrils that close, wide feet and can survive for a long period without water

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23
Q

What ecosystem does the Arctic fox belong to?

A

Tundra

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24
Q

What adaptions of an Arctic fox so it can survive in the tundra

A

Thick, small ears, white fur, fat layer, seasonal fur colour change

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25
What is an Arctic foxes small ears and thick fur adapted for?
To reduce heat loss
26
What is an Arctic foxes fat layer used for?
For under the skin insulation
27
Why has an Arctic Fox got white fur?
To chemical lodge
28
Why has a camel got a hump?
To store fat to be used as energy
29
Why has a camel got a thick eyelashes and nostrils that close
To keep sand out
30
Why have camels got a wide feet?
To stop them sinking in the sand
31
What ecosystem is a sloth adapted for?
Tropical rainforest
32
How is a sloth adapted for its environment?
Slow movement, algae growing on fur, long claws, low metabolic rate
33
Why does sloths move slow?
Helps avoid detection by predators
34
Why does sloths have algae growing on their fur?
Provides camouflage
35
Why do sloths have long claws
To hang from trees easily
36
Why does sloths have a low metabolic rate?
They have a low energy diet
37
What ecosystem is a fennec fox adapted for?
Desert
38
How is a fennec fox adapted for its environment?
Large ears, light coloured fur, nocturnal, furry feet
39
Why are fennec foxes nocturnal?
To avoid day time heat
40
Why do fennec foxes have large ears?
To release heat
41
Why do Fennec foxes have light coloured fur?
To reflect sunlight
42
Why do fennec foxes have furry feet?
To walk on hot sand
43
What ecosystems does the cactus belong to?
Desert
44
What are adaptions of cactuses for there ecosystem?
Thick waxy skin, spikes instead of leaves, shallow but wide roots, stored water and stems
45
Why do cactuses have thick waxy skin?
Reduces water loss through evaporation
46
Why do cactuses have spikes instead of leaves?
To reduce surface area to limit water loss and protect from animals
47
Why do cactuses have shallow but wide roots?
To absorb water quickly from light rain
48
Why do cactuses store water in stems?
Succulent tissues hold moisture for dry periods
49
Which ecosystem do emergent trees belong to?
Rainforest
50
How are emergent tress adapted for their environment?
Drip tips, wax leaves, buttress roots
51
How to drip tips help emergent trees
Allow rain to quickly run off the leaf to avoid rotting
52
How do waxy leaves help emergent trees
Help repel excess water
53
How do buttress roots emergent trees
Support trees in shallow rainforest soil
54
What are lianas
Climbing plants that support trees and climb them to reach sunlight
55
What are empiphytes
They grow on trees behind the canopy to access light and rain
56
What is a tropical rainforest biome?
Tropical rainforest is a large dense forest found near the equator with a hot wet climate and high biodiversity
57
Where are tropical rainforest mainly located in the world?
They found along the equator in regions such as Amazon basin Congo basin Southeast Asia and parts of Central America
58
Name two characteristics of the climate in tropical rainforest
High temperature around 2628° all year and high rainfall over 2000 mm annually
59
Why is the soil in tropical rainforest often poor in nutrients?
Heavy rainfall washes nutrients away and nutrients are stored in the biomass not in the soil
60
What is leaching?
Leaching is the process where nutrients are washed out of the soil by heavy rainfall
61
What is biodiversity and why is it high in tropical rainforest?
By diversity is the variety of plant animal life it’s high and rainforest because of the warm wet climate and stable conditions all year around
62
Name two plant adaptations in the tropical rainforest
Drip tips and buttress roots
63
Give two examples of animal adaptations to the rainforest
Sloth move slowly and tree frogs have sticky pads to grip onto the leaves and branches
64
List three causes of deforestation in tropical rainforest
Logging, farming, mining
65
Describe two environmental impacts of deforestation
Loss of bio diversity and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
66
What is sustainable management in rainforest?
Using the forest without destroying it
67
What is a hot desert biome?
Hot desert is a large dry area that receives less than 250 mm of rainfall per year
68
Name two major hot deserts in the world
Sahara desert and Thar desert
69
What are the main climate characteristics of the hot desert?
Very low rainfall, high daytime temperature, cold nights
70
Why is there little vegetation in hot deserts?
Lack of water, poor soils and extreme temperatures
71
What is desertification?
The process in which fertile land becomes desert usually due to drought, deforestation or overgrazing
72
What are two causes of desertification?
Climate change and human activities
73
How can humans reduce the risk of desertification?
Tree planting, soil management, water management
74
What is one example of sustainable development strategy in a desert
Solar farms

Geography (3 decks)

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