Year 11 The living world

Question 1

What’s an ecostsyem

Answer 1

A natural system in which the life cycles of plants and animals are closely linked to each other and to the non-living environment

Question 2

Environment

Answer 2

The interaction of plants and animals with their non-living environment

Question 3

Non-living environment (abiotic)

Answer 3

Includes examples such as rocks, soil, the air and the climate

Question 4

Living environment (biotic)

Answer 4

Includes examples such as birds, animals, fish, insects and people

Question 5

Biome

Answer 5

This is a large ecosystem such as a tropical rainforest or desert

Question 6

Producers

Answer 6

Plants in an ecosystem and form foundation of food webs. Without producers, the ecosystem couldn’t support other animals

Question 7

Primary consumers

Answer 7

Herbivores that eat producers e.g. insects

Question 8

Secondary consumers

Answer 8

Small carnivores that prey on the primary consumers e.g. birds, also carnivores

Question 9

Tertiary consumers

Answer 9

These top predators feed on the animals below them in the food web and have no predators of their own

Question 10

Decomposer

Answer 10

An organism such as bacterium or fungus, that breaks down dead tissue which effectively recycles nutrients back to the environment

Question 11

Food web

Answer 11

The connections between different organisms (plants and animals) that rely upon one another as their source of food

Question 12

Food chain

Answer 12

A complex hierarchy of plants and animals relying on each other for food

Question 13

Nutrient cycle

Answer 13

A set of processes where organisms extract nutrients necessary for growth from the soil or water, before passing them on through the food chain and back to the soil and water when they die

Question 14

What are the 3 main stages of the nutrient cycle

Answer 14

Litter, biomass and soil

Question 15

Litter in the nutrient cycle

Answer 15

Rainfall lands on possibly some surface run-off which washes some leaves away
leaves decompose from bacteria. fungi and small insects

Question 16

Soil in the nutrient cycle

Answer 16

Made up of the decomposed leaves and weathering of parent rock may experience leaching if too much rain and plants take up the nutrients from the soil

Question 17

Biomass in the nutrient cycle

Answer 17

Made up of plant uptake and produces litter which is animal waste and leaves off plants

Question 18

How does prolonged rainfall effect and ecosystem

Answer 18

The soil may become leached, removing nutrients from the soil or more surface run-off moving the litter elsewhere

Question 19

How do droughts effect ecosystems

Answer 19

The plants may die, reducing litter, also lack of nutrients coming from the rain

Question 20

How does deforestation effect ecosystems

Answer 20

Less biomass meaning less litter etc. also more surface run-off as less interception. Also destroying habitats for animals

Question 21

Location of Arctic tundra

Answer 21

Found at arctic and covers 20% of earth’s surface

Question 22

Climate of Arctic Tundra

Answer 22

Cold and treeless. Av. temp in summer in -10*C only 25mm rain (same as desert)

Question 23

What plants and animals are found at the Arctic tundra

Answer 23

Arctic hare, snowy owl. Small shrubs grow in groups and stay low to the ground with short roots

Question 24

Location of Coniferous forest (taiga)

Answer 24

North America, parts of Canada, northern Europe and Asia usually at higher altitudes

Question 25

Climate of coniferous forest

Answer 25

Cooler parts of world, winter temps low as -20C, more rain in summer temps up to 20C

Question 26

Plants and animals in coniferous forests

Answer 26

Trees grow needles instead of leaves tend to be evergreen. Mammals inc. moose, deer, mice etc

Question 27

Location of deciduous woodlands

Answer 27

Eastern half of north America and central Europe, also in east Japan and China

Question 28

What is the climate like in deciduous woodland

Answer 28

Temperate climates with warmer and colder seasons

Question 29

Plants and animals found in deciduous woodlands

Answer 29

Ash, birch, beech trees etc. bears racoons, animals adapt to climate by hibernating in winter

Question 30

Location of Savannah grassland

Answer 30

Found between deserts and forests and cover approx 20%

Question 31

What’s the climate like in Savannah grassland

Answer 31

20-30* only a few degrees cooler in summer

Question 32

Plants and animals found in Savannah grassland

Answer 32

Lemon grass, baobab and acacia trees. In Africa warthogs, wildebeests and leopards etc.

Question 33

Location of tropical rainforest

Answer 33

Located in tropics near equator, Congo and south east Asia

Question 34

What’s the climate like in tropical rainforests

Answer 34

Get at least 1900mm of rain per year. Very humid and warm between 20 and 34*C

Question 35

Plants and animals in tropical rainforests

Answer 35

Monkeys, birds, bats and pigs etc.

Question 36

Location of deserts

Answer 36

Largest in Sahara in n.Africa. Also in middle east, north China and Mongola

Question 37

What’s the climate like in deserts

Answer 37

Less than 250mm of rain per year. Dry soil and high evaporation, little to no surface water. Rain can evaporate before it hits the ground

Question 38

Plants and animals in deserts

Answer 38

Cactus, grasses, shrubs, meerkats and scorpions, Adapted to needing little water

Question 39

What is biodiversity

Answer 39

Range of plants and animals in an area

Question 40

Emergents

Answer 40

Or forest giants, 50m or taller. Trees are usually supported by buttressroots

Question 41

Canopy

Answer 41

Dense layer forming almost complete cover. Trees 20-30m tall include many hardwoods such as mahogany

Question 42

Under canopy

Answer 42

Dark and humid area containing saplings between the trunks of larger trees

Question 43

Shrub layer

Answer 43

This contains small trees and shrubs especially near rivers

Question 44

Forest layer

Answer 44

Covered with ferns and a deep litter of fallen leaves and branches

Question 45

How have leaves adapted

Answer 45

Have a conical shape so the rain doesn’t collect and runs off the leaf. Known as drip tip

Question 46

Buttress roots adaptations

Answer 46

Long and deep so can get water from far away, also strong

Question 47

Monkeys adaptation

Answer 47

Good climbers, use 4 hands and tail to climb

Question 48

Sloths adaptations

Answer 48

Have hair so that the rain funnels off. Move slowly to conserve energy as only eat leaves, have claws so easy to climb without using muscles

Question 49

Importance of rainforests

Answer 49

Home to more then 1/2 worlds plants and animals
1/2 world’s pharmaceuticals are derived from rain forest
Remove and store huge amounts of carbon from atmosphere and release O2