Interdependance of organisms

Question 1

Describe a habitat?

Answer 1

It is a place where organisms live

Question 2

Identify the 5 parts of the food chain

Answer 2

Question 3

Many organisms in a habitat are interdependent, explain this term.

Answer 3

It means that they need each other to survive.
A change in one organism can affect the others

Question 4

Explain what a food web shows

Answer 4

Like interlinked food chains they show what is eaten by what, all of the organisms are interdependent

Question 5

Explain how toxins can affect every part of a food chain

Answer 5

. Toxins can be passed along a food chain
They harm the organisms in the chain
The organisms higher up the chain are likely to be the worst affected as the toxins build up as they pass along the chain

Question 6

Describe the term adaptation

Answer 6

The features which organisms have to make them better suited for their environment
These have developed over millions of years

Question 7

Describe the environment where an arctic hare lives?

Answer 7

In the Artic tundra a very cold rocky, icy environment

Question 8

Explain the adaptations an arctic hare has developed to live in the Arctic Tundra

Answer 8

Thick fur to keep body heat in
Short ears and a round body to give a small surface area for heat loss
A coat the same colour as their surroundings to camouflage them from predators.

Question 9

Describe the environment where many cacti live?

Answer 9

A desert which is very hot and dry

Question 10

Explain the adaptations a cactus has developed to live in the desert.

Answer 10

They have spines instead of leaves to reduce water loss
A thick stem to store water
A shallow widespread root system to collect any water that falls quickly.

Question 11

Explain how an arctic hare has adapted to seasonal changes in it’s environment like weather and climate

Answer 11

They have a white coat in winter to camouflage themselves in the snow it changes to browny grey in the summer to camouflage themselves against the ground

Question 12

Explain how a cactus has adapted to seasonal changes in it’s environment like weather and climate

Answer 12

They only flower in the rainy season and they drop off when it is dry.

Question 13

Describe how you would measure the amount of light in an environment.

Answer 13

Use a light intensity meter

Question 14

Describe how you would measure the temperature of an environment

Answer 14

Use a thermometer

Question 15

Explain the term population in a habitat

Answer 15

Population means the number of a type of plant or animal in which live in a certain area

Question 16

Explain how a population can be affected by competition

Answer 16

The resources an organism needs to survive can be limited in their environment.
Organisms that are best at competing for the resources thrive and reproduce so their population grows.
The others do not.

Question 17

Identify some resources which organisms compete for in a habitat

Answer 17

Light
Food
Water
Space
Mates

Question 18

Explain the term predation

Answer 18

When an organism (the predator) kills and eats another organism (the prey)

Question 19

Explain the ways predation can affect the populations of both the predator and the prey

Answer 19

1. If the population of predators increases then the population of the prey can decrease as they will be eaten.
2. If the population of the prey increases then the population of the predator may also increase as there is more food for them to eat.

Question 20

What is a quadrat?

Answer 20

It is a square frame of a known size - usually 1sq metre

Question 21

What is a quadrat used for?

Answer 21

To estimate the size of a population

Question 22

Explain how to use a quadrat to estimate the size of a population.

Answer 22

1. Place the quadrat in a random position on the ground
2. Count of all the organisms in the quadrat and record the results
3. Repeat 1 and 2 as many times as possible
4. Calculate the mean of your results
5. Multiply the mean by the number of square meters in the habitat

YOU COULD GET A CALCULATION QUESTION ON THIS probably daisies in a field!

Question 23

Explain why development should be sustainable

Answer 23

If humans use too many resources they can damage the environment.by using up the resources or causing pollution Making sure that the resources are managed so that the environment is not damaged is called sustainable

Question 24

Give some examples of humans damaging a habitat

Answer 24

1. Chopping down rain forest for farming
2. Building towns and cities on land
3. Taking water from rivers
4. Putting chemical pollution into waterways or on land
5. Hunting animals for food or sport

Question 25

Explain how changing or destroying a habitat can affect population size

Answer 25

The organism could find it difficult to survive or reproduce due to a lack of resources
This means that their population will fall dramatically
This can affect other species in the same food web

Question 26

Explain the term conservation

Answer 26

It is looking after and trying to protect species and habitats

Question 27

Identify some conservation schemes

Answer 27

1. Captive breeding programmes
2. Fishing quotas
3. Protected areas

Question 28

Explain how a captive breeding programme can help conservation

Answer 28

Species which are low in numbers can be bred in captivity
This will help increase their numbers
They can then be released back into the wild

Question 29

Explain how fishing quotas can help conservation

Answer 29

Fish stocks are decreasing because of too much fishing
This means that the food chains are affected some species are declining rapidly
Quotas limit the number and size of the fish that fisherman can catch
This allows fish stocks to recover

Question 30

Explain how protected areas can help conservation

Answer 30

Protected areas are places like nature reserves and national parks
They protect the environment by limiting building, farming and other industry