4 Ecology and environment

Question 1

Habitat

Answer 1

Is the place where an organism lives e.g. A pond, a wood, a coral reef

Question 2

Population

Answer 2

Is the total number belonging to one species in a particular area e.g. All the squirrels in a wood, all the freshwater snails in a pond.

Question 3

Community

Answer 3

Is all the population in a habitat, that is, all the organism in a particular area

Question 4

Ecosystem

Answer 4

Is all the living and non living parts in a particular area

Question 5

Biotic factor

Answer 5

Living factor e.g food, predators, disease organisms

Question 6

Abiotic factor

Answer 6

Non living factor e.g. Light, temp, O2, CO2, minerals, so its type

Question 7

Trophic level

Answer 7

the feeding level of an organism

Question 8

Trophic levels

Answer 8

Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, decomposers

Question 9

% transfered to the next trophic level

Answer 9

Only 10%

Question 10

Explain why energy is lost

Answer 10

Energy is lost because consumers or any organism need to keep some of the energy so they can function properly. e.g. Respiration, reproduction, growth.

Question 11

Carbon cycle

Answer 11

• CO2 in the atmosphere is used by plants to do photosynthesis to produce carbon (glucose, lipids)
• Plants are then eaten by animals which release CO2 into the atmosphere by respiration.
• Animals waste then is decomposed by bacteria and fungi (decomposers) which carry out respiration releasing CO2 into the atmosphere
• Fossil fuels are burned releasing CO2

Question 12

Carbon monoxide consequences

Answer 12

Joins with haemoglobin permanently, therefore haemoglobin can’t carry oxygen

Question 13

Sulfur dioxide consequences

Answer 13

-Causes acid rain
-Causes leaching of minerals, plants malnurishing & die
-Lakes go acidic so fish die

Question 14

Greeen house gases

Answer 14

Water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and
Chlorofluorocarbons

Question 15

Fertilisers contain

Answer 15

Nutrients and minerals such as Nitrate, phosphate and potassium

Question 16

Nitrates

Answer 16

Nitrates help Plants produce Amino acids that form Protein to increase biomass - growth

Question 17

Phosphates

Answer 17

Phosphates help Plants convert Amino acids into Protein to increase biomass - growth
Phosphates help increase the rate of respiration to release energy for growth

Question 18

Potassium

Answer 18

Potassium regulates the opening and closing of Stomata to allow Carbon Dioxide uptake for Photosynthesis
Potassium allows enables enzyme reactions to occur that produce energy in the form of ATP to facilitate active transport of Mineral ions from the soil

Question 19

Investigate the population size of an organism in two different areas using
quadrats

Answer 19

1) Make a map and add a grid of both areas
2) Use an app to choose 10 RANDOM coordinates of each area
3) In each area place a quadrat at each of these coordinates
4) Record % cover or total count

Question 20

Eutrification

Answer 20

• Soluable fertilizers wash into rivers / lakes
• b/c of the nitrates algae grows very well. This appears as a green blancket on top of the water = algal bloom
• This blocks light arriving at the lower aquatic plants. they die.
• This algae also die (fast living organisms)
• This dead material is decomposed by aerobic bacteria
• Bacteria uses all O2 and river / lake becomes anoxic so fish and animals die
• River / lake dies

Question 21

Seawage

Answer 21

• Waste from houses are deposited in river / lakes
• Bacteria decomposes faeces, using up oxygen
• Water becomes anoxic, many species including fish die
• Few species survive