Organisation of an Ecosystem

Question 1

explain what is meant by predators and prey

Answer 1

consumers that kill and eat other animals are predators and those eaten are prey

in a stable community, the numbers of predators and prey rise and fall in cycles

Question 2

describe a quadrant

Answer 2

frames usually with an area of 0.25m^2 and are used to calculate population density, population frequency or percentage cover in an area

Question 3

explain why all materials in the living world are recycled

Answer 3

to provide the building blocks for future organisms

Question 4

describe the role of the carbon cycle

Answer 4

it returns carbon from organisms into the atmosphere as carbon-dioxide

plants use carbon-dioxide in photosynthesis.

microorganisms return carbon to the atmosphere as carbon-dioxide and mineral ions to the soil by decomposition

Question 5

describe the role of the water cycle

Answer 5

provides fresh sea water for plants and animals on land before draining into seas.

water is continuously evaporated and precipitated