Paper 1 Section B - The Living World

Question 1

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 1

Biotic organisms interacting with abiotic components in a physical environment.

Question 2

What is a decomposer?

Answer 2

An organism that breaks down dead material into nutrients for the soil.
(E.g. fungi & bacteria)

Question 3

What is biomass?

Answer 3

The total amount of living things

Question 4

What is eutrophication?

Answer 4

Excessive richness of nutrients in a body of water, due to run-off from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life.

Question 5

Why is the soil in tropical rainforests thin, poor, and not very fertile?

Answer 5

When the litter is decomposed, the nutrients don’t stay in the soil for long as they are recycled rapidly by the biomass.

Question 6

How is energy lost at each trophic level?

Answer 6

Energy is left in the bones or feathers which cannot be eaten by other consumers.

Energy is also lost through…
. Movement
. Respiration
. Excretion

Question 7

How many lakes and pond are there in Epping forest? What does this mean?

Answer 7

Over 100 lakes and ponds

This means that there are various plants and animals so there is lots of biodiversity

Question 8

How many species of fungi are there in Epping forest? Why?

Answer 8

700 species of fungi

Due to the large amount of dead wood from trees

Question 9

What are some of the types of trees in Epping forest?

Answer 9

Oak, ash, elm, beech, etc.

Question 10

Where is Epping Forest located?

Answer 10

South England
To the north east of London

Question 11

The M25 runs through Epping Forest, what does this mean?

Answer 11

Disruption to wildlife
Air and noise pollution

Question 12

What are deciduous trees?

Answer 12

Trees that loose their leaves.

Question 13

What are the human and physical causes that change ecosystems?

Answer 13

Deforestation

Agriculture:
. Removal of hedgerows
. Fertilisers - which can lead to eutrophication
. Draining ponds

Extreme weather

Question 14

What is the climate like in the Amazon rainforest?

Answer 14

Average temperature: 27°C
Average rainfall: 2500mm

Question 15

What are the 4 layers in tropical rainforests

Answer 15

Shrub layer / Forest floor
Under canopy
Canopy
Emergent layer

Question 16

In the Amazon Rainforest, how many species of … are there?

birds
plants
insects

Answer 16

1000 species of birds
60,000 species of plants
10 million species of insects

Question 17

How many plants and animals are there in The Amazon Rainforest? (%)

Answer 17

50% of all plants & animals live in the Amazon rainforest

Home to 20% of species on earth

Question 18

How big is the Amazon Rainforest?
And where is it located?

Answer 18

2.1 million square miles

Southern hemisphere, just below the equator
In the north of South America
Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru

Question 19

What are the human causes of deforestation

Answer 19

Commercial farming
Subsistence farming
Cattle ranching (80%)

Settlement & population growth
Road building
Logging

Mineral extraction
Energy development

Question 20

Explain how soil erosion is an impact of deforestation. Why is this dangerous to the environment?

Answer 20

The roots of plants/trees bind soil together. So, cutting down trees leads to soil erosion.

. Soil can be destroyed in hours but takes thousands of years to from.
. 7% of The Amazon Rainforest has been lost in the last 50 years.

Question 21

Explain how loss of biodiversity is an impact of deforestation

Answer 21

Deforestation destroys food webs and individual species become endangered and extinct.

Around 140 organisms are lost everyday due to deforestation.

Question 22

Explain how climate change is an impact of deforestation

Answer 22

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen
Deforestation increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Trees give off moisture through transpiration
Deforestation reduces the moisture in the air resulting in a drier climate because there are less clouds due to evaporation & condensation

Question 23

Explain how economic and social development is an impact of deforestation

Answer 23

. Development of land for mineral extraction, agriculture, and energy development will increase jobs directly (construction) and indirectly (support industries).

. Companies will pay taxes to government, which will be used to improve education, health care, infrastructure, etc.

. Palm oil and rubber provide new material for industries.

Economic development leads to increased taxes which will lead to social development

Question 24

What percentage of the world’s cancer fighting drugs come from The Amazon Rainforest?

Answer 24

25% of all cancer fighting drugs come from The Amazon

Question 25

How is The Amazon Rainforest valuable to people?

Answer 25

Indigenous tribes living there
Creates jobs

Wood resources
25% of all cancer fighting drugs come from The Amazon

20% of the world’s oxygen
20% of all fresh water

Question 26

How is The Amazon Rainforest valuable to the environment?

Answer 26

Carbon store - fight climate change
Air purification
Protects against soil erosion
Habitat to many plants and animals

Question 27

Explain how selective logging is a strategy to manage rainforests sustainably

Answer 27

Logging is only cutting down trees when they are fully grown, in order to stop soil erosion.

Not popular as it is time consuming and expensive.

Question 28

Explain how ecotourism is a strategy to manage rainforests sustainably

Answer 28

Ecotourism is tourism that involves local communities in its development, in order to reduce negative impact on the environment. It is designed to be low impact and small scale.

. Gives local people jobs
. Fragile, unspoilt areas are protected
. Activities in natural areas
. Educational

Question 29

Explain how education & conservation is a strategy to manage rainforests sustainably

Answer 29

The WWF (world wildlife fund) supports projects to conserve protected areas (e.g. national parks) which can be used for education, scientific research, and sustainable tourism.

Question 30

Explain how international agreements are a strategy to manage rainforests sustainably

Answer 30

Debt Reduction-
Most countries with tropical rainforests are NEEs or LICs who are in large debts. So HICs make agreements to reduce debt if they protect the rainforests. (E.g. USA reduced €13.5 million of Brazil’s debt in 2010)

Question 31

How are plants adapted to live in tropical forests?

Remember at least 2 of these

Answer 31

Epiphytes:
Grow on other plants
High up in the canopy, where there is more sunlight (photosynthesis)

Drip tip leaves:
There is heavy rainfall so they are made to drip the water off quickly
Leaves are downward pointing and waxy

Buttress roots:
Large rigid roots give tall trees stability
Soil is thin and poor so the roots are shallow

Lianas (vines):
Roots in the soil but climb high up to the canopy
Competition for sunlight (photosynthesis)

Question 32

How are animals adapted to live in tropical rainforests?

Answer 32

Spider monkey

Toucan

Poison dart frog

Red eyed treefrog