3.1.2.1 Ecosystems

Question 1

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 1

A unit that includes all biotic (living) parts (e.g. plants and animals) & abiotic (non-living) parts (e.g. soil and climate) in an area

Question 2

What is a producer?

Answer 2

Organism that uses sunlight energy to produce food

Question 3

What is a consumer?

Answer 3

Organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms (e.g. Eats producers or other consumers)

Question 4

What is a decomposer?

Answer 4

Organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead material (e.g. dead producers, dead consumers or fallen leaves)

Question 5

What is a food web?

Answer 5

Shows lots of food chains and how they overlap

Question 6

What is a food chain?

Answer 6

Shows what eats what

Question 7

What determines what type of ecosystem forms?

Answer 7

The climate

Question 8

Name the 6 main types of ecosystems

Answer 8

• Grassland
• Temperate Deciduous Forest
• Polar
• Hot Desert
• Tropical Rainforest
• Tundra

Question 9

Name the two types of grassland

Answer 9

Savannah & Temperate grasslands

Question 10

Where are Savannah grasslands found and describe the climate?

Answer 10

Between the tropics - there are distinct dry and wet seasons, although rainfall is relatively low

Question 11

What vegetation is found in the Savannah grasslands?

Answer 11

Mostly grasses with a few scattered trees

Question 12

Where are temperate grasslands found and describe the climate?

Answer 12

Found at higher latitudes where there’s more variation in temperature and less rainfall

Question 13

What vegetation is found in the temperate grasslands?

Answer 13

Just grasses (no trees)

Question 14

Where are temperate deciduous forests found and describe the climate?

Answer 14

Found mainly in mid latitudes where there are four distinct seasons: summers are warm, winters are relatively mild & there’s rainfall all year round

Question 15

Why do deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter?

Answer 15

To cope with the colder weather

Question 16

Where are polar ecosystems found and describe the climate?

Answer 16

Found along north and south poles - very cold, icy & dry

Question 17

Can there be vegetation found in polar ecosystems?

Answer 17

Not much grows at all

Question 18

Why is the growing season very short (2 months) in the polar ecosystems?

Answer 18

Because they remain dark for several months

Question 19

Where are hot deserts found and describe the climate?

Answer 19

Found between 15° and 35° north and south of the equator where there’s little rainfall - it’s very hot during the day and very cold at night

Question 20

What kind of vegetation can you find in hot deserts?

Answer 20

Shrubs and cacti (are very sparsely distributed in sandy soil)

Question 21

Where are tropical rainforests found and describe the climate?

Answer 21

Found around the equator, between the tropics, where it’s hot and wet all year round

Question 22

What is the vegetation like in tropical rainforests?

Answer 22

They’re areas of lush forests with dense canopies of vegetation forming distinct layers

Question 23

Where is the tropic of cancer situated?

Answer 23

23.5° N of equator (above it)

Question 24

Where is the tropic of capricorn situated?

Answer 24

23.5° S of equator (below it)

Question 25

Where is tundra found?

Answer 25

At high latitudes (above 60° N) in northern Europe, Alaska and northern Canada

Question 26

What is climate like in the tundra?

Answer 26

Winters are very cold, summers are brief & there’s hardly any rainfall

Question 27

What is the vegetation like in the tundra?

Answer 27

Hardly any tress - has mosses, grasses and low shrubs

Question 28

What’s permafrost and where can it be found?

Answer 28

A layer of permanently frozen ground - found in tundra