Theme 3 Chapter 1 - Ecosystems

Question 1

What is nutrient flows?

Answer 1

The movement of minerals from one store to another

Question 2

What is biodiversity?

Answer 2

The variety of living things in an area

Question 3

What is a nutrient store?

Answer 3

Part if an ecosystem where nutrients are kept

Question 4

What is an ecosystem?

Answer 4

A community of plants and animals which interact with their non living and living components

Question 5

What is a biome?

Answer 5

A very large ecosystem (eg rainforest or desert)

Question 6

What are the 6 climates on Earth?

Answer 6

Tundra
Taiga
Grassland/Savannah/Semi-arid 
Desert
Tropical rainforest
Temperate

Question 7

Why is there rainforest (warm and wet climate) near savannahs (warm and dry climate)?

Answer 7

Hadley cell

• Warm is constantly rising at equator resulting in low pressure systems at equator (cloudy, rainy, windy)
• When the warm air rises into the atmosphere it splits and after it cools down to cold air due to altitude
• The cold air falls as it become heavy resulting in high pressure systems at savannah (no wind, no rain, no clouds)

Question 8

What is climate like in Savannah?

Answer 8

It has two main seasons: A dry and rainy season

-Rain is unreliable during rainy seasons

Question 9

What is the soil like in Savannah?

Answer 9

-Has mineral deficient red soil

Question 10

What is vegetation like in Savannahs?

Answer 10

1) Acacia trees:
- shed leaves in dry season to conserve water in dry season
2) Baobab tree:
- thick bark and water stored to protect against fires
- fewer leaves, prevent water loss from transpiration
3) Grass:
- in wet season grass grows quickly to height of 3m to 4m
- Dry season grass turns yellow and withers

Question 11

What are the animals and humans like in savannah?

Answer 11

Animals:

• Large herds of wildebeest, zebras and other wild herbivores
• Herds of domestic animals (like cattle and goats)

Humans:

• As population has increased, traditional land used for grazing has been used for crops of leading to overgrazing in restricted area
• Trees and shrub cut for firewood, space for homes or crops

Question 12

What is climate like in Tropical rainforests?

Answer 12

Constantly high temperature and heavy rainfall

Question 13

What is soil like in Tropical rainforests?

Answer 13

• low nutrient concentrated soil due to high competition over nutrients by the vast arrays of vegetation - Nutrients absorbed rapidly
• Humid, wet high rate of decomposition, nutrients returned to soils rapidly

Question 14

What is vegetation like in Tropical rainforests?

Answer 14

• Tree trunks straight and branchless in lower parts to use as much energy to grow taller
• Trees can grow over 4 metres in efforts to surpass canopy level
• Leaves have drip tips to shed heavy rainfall

Question 15

What is animals and humans like in Tropical rainforests?

Answer 15

Animals:
-High biodiversity
Humans:
-Vast amount of rainforest destroyed due to deforestation, habitats destroyed and animals unable to adapt

Question 16

4 Abiotic factors in ecosystems?

Answer 16

Water
Sunlight
Soil
Gases

Question 17

Biotic factors in ecosystems?

Answer 17

Plants

Animals

Question 18

How do humans interact with:

• Vegetation
• Animals

Answer 18

Vegetation:
-Many people chop down trees for firewood, construction or commercial use
-Many people consume fruits, nuts and plants
Animals:
-Humans hunting animals for food apart of ecosystem

Question 19

How do Animals interact with:

-Vegetation

Answer 19

Vegetation:

• Producers start of every food chain
• Herbivores and omnivores consume it

Question 20

How does soil interact with:

-Animals

Answer 20

Animal:

Decaying animals return nutrients to the soil

Question 21

How does gases interact with

• Humans
• Vegetation

Answer 21

Humans:
-Activities of people living outside of ecosystems (like burning fossil fuels) increases CO2 emissions in the atmosphere
Vegetation:
-Photosynthesis creates oxygen and absorbs Carbon dioxide

Question 22

What is the nutrient cycle?

Answer 22

1) Dead matter (like leaves and animals) fall to the ground
2) The sun’s heat helps to decompose the dead matter returning the nutrients to the soil
3) Roots absorb the nutrients in the soil
4) Plants uses nutrients to grow
5) Eventually an animal will consume the plant which will eventually die or leaves will shed - the cycle restarts

Question 23

The nutrients cycle in Savannahs?

Answer 23

1) Low amounts of dead matter falls to the ground
2) Although it is hot, savannahs are dry so rate of decomposition is low
3) Soils are therefore not rich in nutrients
4) Not a lot of vegetation grows quickly in savannah - the cycle restarts

Question 24

The nutrients cycle in Rainforest?

Answer 24

1) Lots of dead matter drops from trees in rainforest
2) Rate of decomposition faster due to hot and rain conditions. Nutrients are returned to soil rapidly
3) Plant roots absorb nutrients quickly from the low nutrient soils due to high competition between vegetation of nutrients
4) Due to fast nutrient flow in rainforests and high photosynthesis rate (due to warm and dry conditions), lots of vegetation grows rapidly - Cycle restarts

Question 25

What are food chains?

Answer 25

Shows what organism eats what

Question 26

What are food webs?

Answer 26

Shows all the food chains and their interactions within an ecosystem

Question 27

How do humans affect food chains?

Answer 27

1) Destroying habitats
2) Introducing herbicides and pesticides
3) Over hunting
4) Climate change

Question 28

Where is the Attenborough nature reserve?

Answer 28

In nottinghamshire, 6 miles south west of nottingham city

Question 29

What was the original land use of the nature reserve?

Answer 29

A gravel extraction site and is still owned by the company CEMEX

Question 30

What is a stakeholder?

Answer 30

An individual, group or organisation who is impacted by a project

Question 31

Positive and negative opinions of the stakeholder:

• Wildlife trust member
• Teacher
• Local residents
• Jogger

Answer 31

Wildlife trust member:
POSITIVE: Protects breeding of rare species
NEGATIVE: Nature centre ruins ‘natural’ feel

Teacher:
POSITIVE: Provides activities and education for students
NEGATIVE: Visitor path and centre can be busy

Local residents:
POSITIVE: Stores flood waters
Raises house prices
NEGATIVE: Visitors disturb peace of village (eg parking on village roads)

Jogger:
POSITIVE: Pleasant scenery
NEGATIVE: Car park charges

Question 32

Management strategies:

Answer 32

1) Artificial nesting banks
2) Café, shops and study room
3) Educational programmes
4) Birdwatching hides