2: THE LIVING WORLD

Question 1

explain the nutrient cycle: (4)

Answer 1

1. litter eg leaves from plants and trees
2. rainfall mulches down the litter and it begins to decompose, surface runoff happens
3. decomposed material goes into the soil where leaching happens and weathering
4. the plants uptake nutrients from the soil again

Question 2

rainforest layers:

Answer 2

emergent (50 m trees)
canopy
understory
shrub (adapted to no sunlight)

Question 3

epping forest case study

Answer 3

deciduous woodland
producers: trees eg oak, plants
p consumers: insects, rabbits, deer
s consumers: frogs, foxes
t consumers: foxes, kestrels
spring: bluebells store nutrients for consumers
summer: trees grow to maximise photosynthesis
autumn: trees shed leaves to conserve energy
winter: bacteria decompose leaf litter to re release nutrients into the soil

Question 4

amazon case study tr

Answer 4

epiphytes
buttress roots
drip tip leaves
stick insects
toucan
sloth

Question 5

causes of deforestation

Answer 5

agriculture
logging for timber
mineral extraction

Question 6

rainforest sustainability

Answer 6

ecotourism
selective logging
afforestation

Question 7

desert climate adaptations

Answer 7

fennec fox
camels
slow growth
shallow roots
water store

Question 8

thar desert case study

Answer 8

opportunities: tourism and ecotourism
mineral extraction eg limestone
energy: coal extraction and oil
challenges: extreme temps, difficult working
water supply
inaccessibility

Question 9

desertification:

Answer 9

natural: rainfall pattern unpredictability
reduced vegetation
human: overgrazing
deforestation