B18:BiodiversityAndEcosystem

Question 1

what is biodiversity

Answer 1

the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth, or within an ecosystem

Question 2

what does high biodiversity help to endure

Answer 2

the stability of ecosystems by reducing the dependence of one species on another for food, shelter and the maintenance of the physical environment

Question 3

how do humans reduce the amount of land available for other land and plants

Answer 3

by building, quarrying, farming and dumping waste

Question 4

what does the future of the human species on Earth rely on

Answer 4

us maintaining a good level of biodiversity

Question 5

what human actions cause a reduction in biodiversity

Answer 5

land used to build houses, destroying land for farming, waste produced by humans, land being dug up for quarries

Question 6

what does rapid growth in the human population and standard of living mean

Answer 6

increasingly more resources are used therefore more waste is produced

Question 7

what happens if waste and chemical materials aren’t properly handled

Answer 7

pollution will be caused

Question 8

what is sewage

Answer 8

wastewater and excrement

Question 9

how can pollution occur on land

Answer 9

from landfill, toxic chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides which may also be washed from land to water

Question 10

how can pollution occur in water

Answer 10

sewage, fertilisers and toxic chemicals

Question 11

what does pollution do

Answer 11

kill plants and animals which can reduce biodiversity

Question 12

how can pollution occur in the air

Answer 12

smoke and acidic gases

Question 13

what does air pollution do to animals and plants

Answer 13

it can kill them which can reduce biodiversity

Question 14

why has large scale deforestation occurred

Answer 14

to provide land for cattle and rice fields and to grow crops for biofuels

Question 15

deforestation definition

Answer 15

the action of clearing a wide area of trees

Question 16

what does the destruction of peat bogs do

Answer 16

reduces the area of this habitat and therefore the biodiversity that is associated with it

Question 17

what does the decay/burning of peat release

Answer 17

carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

Question 18

what does peat produce

Answer 18

garden compost

Question 19

what gases in the environment are increasing

Answer 19

carbon dioxide and methane

Question 20

what gases are contributing to global warming

Answer 20

carbon dioxide and methane

Question 21

what are the biological consequences of global warming

Answer 21

loss of habitats when low-lying areas are flooded by rising sea levels, changes in the distribution pattern of species in areas where temperature or rainfall has changed, and changes to the migration patterns of animals

Question 22

what environmental changes affect the distribution of species in an ecosystem

Answer 22

water availability, temperature and atmospheric gases

Question 23

what are the environmental changes caused by

Answer 23

seasonal, geographical or caused by human interaction

Question 24

what have scientists and concerned citizens put in place

Answer 24

programmes to reduce the negative effects of humans on ecosystems and biodiversity

Question 25

what can trophic levels be represented by

Answer 25

numbers

Question 26

level 1

Answer 26

plants and algae

Question 27

level 2

Answer 27

primary consumer

Question 28

level 3

Answer 28

secondary consumer

Question 29

level 4

Answer 29

tertiary consumer

Question 30

what type of eater is a primary consumer

Answer 30

herbivore

Question 31

what type of eater is a secondary consumer

Answer 31

carnivores

Question 32

what are apex predators

Answer 32

carnivores with no predators

Question 33

how do decomposers break down plant and animal matter

Answer 33

by secreting enzymes into the environment, small soluble molecules then diffuse into the microorganism

Question 34

why are pyramids of biomass constructed

Answer 34

to represent the relative amount of biomass at each level of the food chain

Question 35

where is trophic level 1 in the pyramid

Answer 35

always at the bottom

Question 36

how much of the incident energy from light do producers transfer for photosynthesis

Answer 36

1%

Question 37

why do losses of biomass occur

Answer 37

not all of the ingested material is absorbed

Question 38

how much in a percentage of biomass is transferred to each level

Answer 38

10%

Question 39

where is biomass lost through

Answer 39

egested as faeces, lost as waste products such as carbon dioxide and water in respiration and water and urea in urine and large amounts of glucose are used in respiration

Question 40

what is food security

Answer 40

having enough food to feed a population

Question 41

factors that affect food security

Answer 41

increasing birth rates, changing diets, new pests and pathogens affecting farming, the cost of agricultural inputs, conflicts affecting access to food or water, environmental changes affecting food production