1.2 - Monitoring the environment, energy flow and nutrient transfer

Question 1

What is a producer? 1st, 2nd and 3rd level consumer?

Answer 1

Producer produces its own food

• 1st stage consumer- herbivore
• 2nd stage consumer- carnivore
• 3rd stage consumer-bird

Question 2

What happens to some of the light that falls on leaves?

Answer 2

• some is reflected from the leaf’s surface
• some passes straight through the leaf
• only part of the light is useful and can be absorbed by chlorophyll

Question 3

How can lichens can be used as an air pollution indicator?

Answer 3

-various lichens are found in different concentrations of air so you know what the air is like depending on the type if lichen found

Question 4

How can fertiliser (nitrate) affect pond waters e.g ponds

Answer 4

• using fertiliser can increase the nitrogen levels in the sea
• the aquatic plants and algae will grow faster so the plants under the algae die as they aren’t receiving enough light
• the dead algae and plants decompose by microbes and the microbes respire and use up the oxygen
• the oxygen levels fall so the aquatic plants and animals suffocate and die

Question 5

What is the bovine TB?

Answer 5

-Tuberculosis is an infectious disease of cattle

Question 6

What effect does TB have on cattle?

Answer 6

• frequent coughing which leads to painful coughing
• milk will eventually be watery and bluish
• if legions develop then the udder will eventually be solid

Question 7

What evidence is there to suggest the source of TB from cattle?

Answer 7

• badgers

- lowered numbers of TB by taking badgers away from some areas

Question 8

What are some ways to prevent the spread of TB?

Answer 8

• annual testing
• cows that react are put in isolation and are slaughtered
• cows aren’t moved until tests are done

Question 9

Why is the carbon cycle important?

Answer 9

-helps us to know how it affects humans and how humans affect the cycle e.g too much co2 can lead to global warming

Question 10

What do nitrogen fixing bacteria do?

Answer 10

Take in the nitrogen from the air and change it into ammonium compounds

Question 11

What do decomposers (decay bacteria) do?

Answer 11

They convert the proteins in dead plants and animals into ammonia using urease
-they also do this with animal excretion (urea)

Question 12

What do nitrifying bacteria do?

Answer 12

They convert ammonia into nitrates to be taken up by plants

Question 13

What are nitrates used for?

Answer 13

To make proteins for growth and repair

Question 14

What do denitrifying bacteria do?

Answer 14

They break down nitrates into nitrogen gas

Question 15

What is the equation for urea?

Answer 15

Urea=ammonia + carbon dioxide

Question 16

What does bio-accumulate mean?

Answer 16

-each level the amount increases