Unit 5, fertilisers and eutrophication

Question 1

What are fertilisers?

Answer 1

• added to replace nitrate and phosphate ions lost when plants are harvested and removed from nutrient cycles as crops

Question 2

What is natural fertiliser made of?

Answer 2

Manure

Question 3

What is artificial fertilisers made of?

Answer 3

Inorganic chemicals

Question 4

What are the advantages and disadvantages of nautical fertiliser?

Answer 4

Advantages
- cheaper, or free if farmer owns animals
Disadvantages
- exact minerals and proportions cannot be controlled

Question 5

What are the advantages and disadvantages of artificial fertiliser?

Answer 5

Advantages
- contain exact proportions of minerals
- being water soluble means they dissolve in soil surrounding the plant
Disadvantages
- larger quantities are washed away with rainfall having a negative impact on environment as they are water soluble

Question 6

What is leaching?

Answer 6

Water soluble compounds are washed away into rivers or ponds, this results in eutrophication

Question 7

What is eutrophication?

Answer 7

• leached stimulate growth of algae in pond or river
• growth of algae creates a blanket in surface of water, blocking light
• plants die due to lack of photosynthesis
• bacteria feeds on dead plant matter
• results in increase of bacteria the respires, using up oxygen in water, causing animal and plant dead due to 02 lacking water .