Rosie Week 4

Question 1

Define an ecosystem.

Answer 1

The interaction between a community and non-living parts of an environment

Question 2

What do animals in a community compete for?

Answer 2

Space, food, water or mating partners

Question 3

What do plants in a community compete for?

Answer 3

Light, space, water and mineral ions

Question 4

What are abiotic (non-living) factors in a community?

Answer 4

Light intensity, temperature, humidity, soil ph, wind intensity, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels

Question 5

What are the three types of adaptations?

Answer 5

Behavioural, structural, functional

Question 6

What are behavioural adaptations?

Answer 6

The way an organism behaves

E.g.
playing dead
Basking in the Sun to absorb heat
Coating behaviour

Question 7

What are structural adaptations?

Answer 7

The shape or colour of an organism

E.g.
Sharp teeth to tear meat apart
Thick fur for insulation
The ability to camouflage (e.g the tan color of lions)

Question 8

What are functional adaptations?

Answer 8

Adaptations that are involved in internal processes such as reproduction or metabolism

E.g.
The conservation of water through the production of very little sweat

Question 9

What are extremophiles?

Answer 9

Organisms that live in very extreme environments

Question 10

What is a producer (in the food chain)?

Answer 10

A plant or algae that synthesises molecules

They are the start of food chains

Question 11

How is carbon dioxide removed from the air?

Answer 11

Through photosynthesis by plants and algae

The plants are eaten by primary consumers and the carbon moves up the food chain

Question 12

How is carbon dioxide returned to the air?

Answer 12

• when plants algae and animals respire
• When wood and fossil fuels are burnt

Question 13

How is water removed from land?

Answer 13

• The Sun’s energy causes water to evaporate from the sea and lakes forming water vapour
• the water vapour rises and condenses to form clouds

Question 14

How is water returned to land?

Answer 14

By precipitation (rain, snow or hail)
Precipitation returns water to lakes these then run into the sea

Question 15

What are factors that affect decomposition?

Answer 15

Temperature, water, availability of oxygen

Question 16

How does temperature affect decomposition?

Answer 16

Reactions are faster in warmer conditions

if temperatures get too high, enzymes can become denatured which stops decomposition

Question 17

How does water affect decomposition?

Answer 17

Microorganisms grow faster in wet conditions as water is needed for respiration

Therefore more water leads to fast decomposition

Question 18

How does the availability of oxygen affect decomposition?

Answer 18

Most decomposers respire aerobically (meaning oxygen is required for decomposition)

Question 19

How is bio fuel produced?

Answer 19

Through the anaerobic decay of waste which produces methane gas

Question 20

What are the main ways that pollution can occur?

Answer 20

• in water, from sewage, fertiliser or toxic chemicals
• in air from smoke and acidic gases
• on land from landfill and toxic chemicals

Question 21

What is peat?

Answer 21

A material that forms when plant material has not fully decayed as there is insufficient oxygen

Question 22

How can peat be used?

Answer 22

• it can be used as compost (as natural fertiliser)
• it can be dried to use as fuel (as it contains carbon dioxide)

Question 23

What is the issue with the destruction of peat bogs?

Answer 23

• it destroys this area of habitat and thus the variety of different plant, animal and microorganism species that live there
• the decay or burning of the peat releases carbon dioxide

Question 24

What are the consequences of global warming?

Answer 24

• rising sea levels
• Destruction of habitats
• Change of migration patterns
• Reduction in biodiversity

Question 25

What are the ways humans have negatively affected biodiversity?

Answer 25

- producing greenhouse gases which lead to global warming - producing sulphur dioxide which leads to acid rain - chemicals used in farming leak into the environment - clearing land and destroying habitats in order to build on

Question 26

How have humans helped to improve biodiversity?

Answer 26

- preserving areas of scientific interest by preventing human access - attempting to reduce water pollution - helping to maintain rainforests, ensuring habitats are not destroyed

Question 27

What are decomposers?

Answer 27

They are micro organisms that breakdown dead plant and animal matter by secreting enzymes into the environment

Question 28

What percent of energy from the sun do producers (plants) transfer?

Answer 28

1 percent

Question 29

Why do producers transfer so little of the energy from the Sun?

Answer 29

Not all light lands on photosynthesising parts of the plant

Question 30

What percent of biomass is transferred between each tropic level approximately?

Answer 30

10%

Question 31

Why is only 10% of biomass transferred between each tropic level?

Answer 31

- not all the ingested materials absorbed, some is lost as faeces - some absorbed material is a lost through respiration which produces carbon dioxide as a waste product

Question 32

What are factors that affect food security?

Answer 32

- increased birth rate - New pests and pathogens that affect farming - Environmental changes such as a lack of rainfall - The cost of agricultural inputs (Such as the machinery needed for farming) - Conflicts (war)

Question 33

How do farmers prevent energy wastage by animals?

Answer 33

Limiting their movement and controlling the temperature of their surroundings

Question 34

What methods do we have to prevent over fishing?

Answer 34

- controlling net size so that smaller fish are not caught and can survive to breed - fishing quotas are only a certain number of fish can be caught

Question 35

What are the benefits of mycoprotein?

Answer 35

- it is protein rich - It does not require animals: So it would help to reduce land use and reduce methane contributions - it is suitable for vegetarians

Question 36

What are the uses of biotechnology?

Answer 36

- to produce mycoprotein - To genetically modify bacteria to produce insulin - genetically modified crops to make them resistant to pests - Genetically modified crops so that they have greater nutritional value