The Living World

Question 1

What is a producer?

Answer 1

A producer uses sunlight to produce food through photosynthesis.

Question 2

What is a consumer?

Answer 2

A consumer gets its energy by eating other organisms. They can eat producers or other consumers.

Question 3

What is a decomposer?

Answer 3

A decomposer is an organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead material

Question 4

What are the 2 main decomposers?

Answer 4

Bacteria and fungi.

Question 5

Describe the nutrient cycle:

Answer 5

Dead material decomposes into the soil.
Plants absorb the nutrients from the soil.
Plants are eaten by consumers.
When consumers die, nutrients are returned to the soil.

Question 6

What is a food chain?

Answer 6

The transfer of energy from one organism to another.

Question 7

What is a food web?

Answer 7

A diagram that shows how multiple food chains overlap and interconnect.escr

Question 8

Describe a tundra:

Answer 8

Found above 60° north (e.g., northern Europe, Canada, and Alaska).
Very little vegetation and rainfall.

Question 9

Describe a grassland:

Answer 9

experiences dry and wet seasons with low rainfall.
Mostly covered in vegetation with a few trees, often found in the tropics.

Question 9

Describe a deciduous forest:

Answer 9

Found in the mid-latitudes, experiencing all four seasons.
Deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter to conserve energy.

Question 10

Describe the people in a rainforest:

Answer 10

Many indigenous people live in rainforests, relying on the environment for food, shelter, and medicine.

Question 10

Describe a boreal/taiga forest:

Answer 10

Found between 50° and 60° north.
Winters are cold and dry; trees have needles to retain water.

Question 11

Describe a tropical rainforest:

Answer 11

Found around the equator, between the tropics.
Hot and wet all year round, with lots of vegetation.

Question 12

Describe a hot desert:

Answer 12

Found between 15° and 35° north and south.
Very little rainfall, extremely hot during the day and cold at night.

Question 12

Describe a polar environment:

Answer 12

Found in the north and south poles.
Cold, icy, and dry with little vegetation.
Experiences darkness for several months of the year.

Question 13

Describe the climate of a rainforest:

Answer 13

The climate is the same all year—hot and wet with a lot of rainfall.

Question 14

Describe the plants in a rainforest:

Answer 14

Many trees are tall, and there is dense vegetation.

Question 15

Describe the soil in the rainforest:

Answer 15

The soil has low nutrients because heavy rainfall washes nutrients away.

Question 15

Describe the animals in the rainforest:

Answer 15

Rainforests contain more species than any other ecosystem, making them incredibly diverse.

Question 16

How are humans interfering with these ecosystems?

Answer 16

Deforestation - Trees store large amounts of water, so cutting them down increases the risk of drought.

Question 16

How have plants adapted to the physical conditions in the rainforest?

Answer 16

Trees are tall to compete for sunlight.
Trees have thin bark so water runs off easily, preventing rot.

Question 17

How are animals adapted in the rainforest to avoid predators?

Answer 17

Many animals live high in the trees and have strong limbs to move around easily.
Some animals are camouflaged to blend into their surroundings and avoid predators.

Question 18

What are the reasons the Amazon is being cut down?

Answer 18

Cattle farming
Small-scale farming by local people
Harvesting valuable trees through commercial logging
Mineral extraction
Energy development (e.g., building dams for hydroelectric power)
Population growth leading to more land needed for settlements
Building the Trans-Amazonian Highway

Question 19

How has deforestation impacted the world economically?

Answer 19

Farming brings wealth, and the mining industry creates jobs. Logging contributes significantly to Brazil’s economy.

Question 20

How has deforestation impacted the world environmentally?

Answer 20

Trees absorb CO₂, and deforestation releases CO₂ by burning trees, which contributes to global warming.

Question 21

Why is the rainforest very valuable to some people?

Answer 21

Many products are sourced from rainforests, providing economic benefits, such as income from tourism.

Question 22

How can tropical rainforests be sustainably managed (give 2 ways)?

Answer 22

Replanting trees to replace those that are cut down.
Selective logging, where only certain trees are felled.
Ecotourism to promote conservation while providing income.
Educating people about the importance of rainforests and the impacts of deforestation.
Establishing nature parks to protect areas of the rainforest.
Reducing debt for countries with rainforests to decrease the need for deforestation.
Signing international agreements to protect rainforests globally.

Question 23

What is the weather like in hot deserts?

Answer 23

Little rainfall and extreme temperatures, with 40°C during the day and 0°C at night.

Question 24

What is the soil like in a hot desert?

Answer 24

The lack of leaf fall limits soil fertility, and the lack of rain dries out the soil.

Question 25

What are the plants like in a hot desert?

Answer 25

Plants are sparse, mainly consisting of cacti and other drought-resistant species.

Question 26

What are the animals like in a hot desert?

Answer 26

Animals are adapted to the harsh environment; most are small and nocturnal to avoid the heat.

Question 27

What are the people like in a hot desert?

Answer 27

Indigenous people are often nomadic, moving to find food and water.

Question 28

What is the ecosystem like in a hot desert?

Answer 28

Plants take up nutrients from the soil and provide them to animals. However, there is little decomposition of dead plant material by fungi and bacteria, so plants struggle to grow.

Question 29

How have plants adapted to the physical conditions of the Sahara desert?

Answer 29

Plant roots are long to reach deep water.
They have fleshy stems to store water and thick, waxy skin to reduce water loss through transpiration.

Question 30

How are animals adapted to the physical temperatures in a hot desert?

Answer 30

Nocturnal animals stay cool by sleeping during the hottest parts of the day and searching for food during the cooler night.

Question 30

What are some development opportunities in the Sahara?

Answer 30

Mineral resources - Mining valuable minerals like phosphates and gold.
Oil and gas - Large reserves are found in areas like Algeria and Libya.
Solar energy - The Sahara’s intense sunlight is ideal for generating renewable energy.
Tourism - Sand dunes, cultural heritage, and unique landscapes attract visitors.

Question 31

What are some challenges to development in the Sahara?

Answer 31

Extreme temperatures - Make it difficult for people to work and for plants to grow.
Limited water supply - Rivers only flow part of the year, making it hard to provide enough water for workers and communities.
Inaccessibility - Remote and isolated locations make it hard to provide services and infrastructure.

Question 32

How is desertification caused by human factors?

Answer 32

Overgrazing - Livestock trample and eat plants, leaving soil exposed.
Population growth - More people require more wood for fuel, leading to deforestation.

Question 33

How is desertification affected by climate change?

Answer 33

Limited rainfall - Less rain causes plants to die, leaving soil exposed.
Higher temperatures - Increase evaporation, making soil drier and less fertile.

Question 34

What is desertification?

Answer 34

The degradation of land, making it drier and less productive.

Question 34

How can desertification be reduced?

Answer 34

Grow crops that need little water.
Plant trees to prevent wind erosion and stabilize soil.