Environmental Change

Question 1

What are the 2 types of environmental change?

Answer 1

Living factors

Non-living factors

Question 2

What changes in living factors cause environmental changes?

Answer 2

1. Change in the occurrence of infectious diseases
2. Change in the number of predators
3. Change in the number of prey/ availability of food sources
4. Change in the number/type of competitors

Question 3

What changes in non-living factors cause environmental changes?

Answer 3

1. Change in average temperature
2. Change in the average rainfall
3. Change in the level of air/water pollution

Question 4

Which 3 ways do environmental changes affect populations?

Answer 4

1. Population size increases
2. Population size decreases
3. Population distribution changes (a change in where an organism lives)

Question 5

What is a living indicator species?

Answer 5

Organisms that are very sensitive to changes in their environment and can be studied to see the effect of human activities.

Question 6

What can lichen be used for?

Answer 6

Lichen are very sensitive to the concentration of sulphur dioxide in the air. They can give a good indication about the level of pollution from car exhausts and power stations.

Question 7

What else can be measured to give an indication of environmental change?

Answer 7

1. Temperature of the sea surface + amount of snow and ice over- measured by satellites.
2. Atmospheric temperatures- measured by automatic weather stations