ecology

Question 1

what are fertilisers

Answer 1

substance applied to soil in order to supply plants with nutrients

Question 2

what are the three main elements plants require from soil

Answer 2

nitrogen
phosphorus
potassium

Question 3

negative impacts fertilisers can have on the environment

Answer 3

leaching
eutrophication

Question 4

what is leaching

Answer 4

when nutrients in fertilisers are washed out of the soil by water
occurs when fertilisers provide plants with more nutrients than they can use so excess inorganic ions are washed away

Question 5

what is eutrophication

Answer 5

mineral ion leach into lakes + rivers and stimulate rapid growth of algae
growth of algae on the water surface blocks the light from reaching the plants at the bottom
lack of light stops plants photosynthesising, causing them to die
decomposers feed on the dead matter - they use oxygen to aerobically respire so oxygen in the water is depleted
causes fish + other aerobic organisms to die