Section B- The Living World

Question 1

What is an ecosystem

Answer 1

An ecosystem is all the biotic and abiotic parts in an area living and working together

Question 2

Name the organisms in an ecosystem

Answer 2

Producers
Consumers
Decomposers (micro organisms)

Question 3

Where do consumers get their energy from

Answer 3

By consuming other organisms

Question 4

Where do producers get their energy from

Answer 4

From sunlight and water

Question 5

Where do decomposers get their energy from

Answer 5

By breaking down dead material

Question 6

“If one part of an ecosystem changes everything that depends on it changes”
What is this called

Answer 6

Interdependency

Question 7

Where are tundra regions found

Answer 7

Above 60 degrees north

For example Northern Europe, Canada and Alaska

Question 8

What are winters and summers like in tundra regions

Answer 8

Winters are extremely cold
Summers are brief with little rainfall

Question 9

What is plant life in tundra regions like

Answer 9

Hardly any trees but there is moss, grass and low shrubs

Permafrost is on the ground all year

Question 10

Where are tropical rainforests found

Answer 10

Between the tropics. It is warm and hot all year round

Question 11

What are tropical rainforests like

Answer 11

It is an area of lush forest with dense canopies of vegetation forming distinct layer

Question 12

What ecosystem contains the most animal species

Answer 12

Rainforests

Question 13

Name two facts about the trees in tropical rainforests

Answer 13

Most of the trees are evergreen to help them take advantage of the continual growing season

Man trees are tall to get more sunlight- vegetation is dense so little light hits the floor

Question 14

Only the surface of the soil in rainforests are fertile , why?

Answer 14

Heavy rain washes nutrients away, however decaying leaves provides a surface layer of nutrients

Question 15

What is the climate like in rainforests?
How much does it rain per year?

Answer 15

20-28 degrees
Very hot and humid
2000mm of rain per year
It rains daily

Question 16

What are lianas

Answer 16

Woody viens that climb up trees to reach sunlight, their plants grow in the canopy

Question 17

Name two adaptations of trees in tropical rainforests

Answer 17

Buttress roots- wide and broad to support large trees

Smooth tree trunks- tall and thin smooth trunks allow water to run down it

Question 18

Name one adaptation of the leaves of plants in a tropical rainforest

Answer 18

Drip tips- leaves have pointy tips so excess water can run off them without damaging or breaking the leaf

Question 19

How is a sloth adapted to survive in a tropical rainforests?

Answer 19

They can camouflage
Moves slowly so predators find it difficult to spot them

Question 20

How is a spider monkey adapted to survive in a tropical rainforests?

Answer 20

Long and strong limbs to climb from tree to tree

Question 21

How is a toucan adapted to survive in a tropical rainforests?

Answer 21

Long beaks to pluck fruits from branches that are too weak to support their weight

Question 22

What degrees Celsius are winters in polar regions

Answer 22

-40 to -90 degrees

Question 23

What animals live in polar regions

Answer 23

Polar bears, penguins , whales and seals

Question 24

What animals live in tundra climates

Answer 24

Lemmings wolves and reindeer

Question 25

What’s the difference between the soil in polar and tundra regions

Answer 25

Polar- ice sheets cover the entire ground. No soil exposed Tundra- thin , acidic and not very fertile

Question 26

Name a plant in a tundra region and its adaptation

Answer 26

Cotton grass Low lying- the snow covers it in winter which helps insulate it Darker leaves to absorb more energy from the sun Dense flower heads to reduce heat loss

Question 27

Name the adaptations of a polar bear

Answer 27

White fur- comoflagr against prey Thick layer of fat and fur- insulation against the cold Large feet- stability - distributes their heavy weight and increases grip on ice