What is the source of energy for all living organisms?
The sun (solar/light energy)
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What is biomass?
The dry mass of living material in an animal or plant
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What does a pyramid of biomass show?
Shows the total mass of organisms at each stage of a food chain
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What happens to the material and energy in the biomass of organisms at each stage of a food chain?
The amounts of biomass and energy decrease at each successive stage in a food chain
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Why is there waste between each trophic level?
Waste, respiration, heat loss and maintaining a constant temperature and some organisms die/ not eaten
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All energy in a food chain is lot to the environment by...
Heat
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Why do things decay?
Living things remove materials from the environment as they grow. They return them when they die through the action of decomposers
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What are decomposers?
Microorganisms that break down waste products and dead bodies
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What are some examples of decomposers?
Fungi, bacteria and some insects
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What are detritus feeders?
Microorganisms that start the process of decay and produce waste materials
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What do decomposers use some of the nutrients for?
To grow and reproduce
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What waste products do decomposers release?
Carbon dioxide, water and minerals (which plants can use)
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What do we mean when things decay?
They are being broken down and digested by microorganisms
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What are some examples of detritus feeders?
Maggots, beetles and some types of worms
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What are the best conditions for decay/ microorganisms?
Warmth, moisture, oxygen
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How are materials cycled in a stable community?
The processes that remove materials are balanced by the processes that return materials
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How do we use microorganisms in sewage plants?
To break down bodily waste we produce so that it is safe to release them into rivers/seas
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How do we use microorganisms in a compost heap?
Decompose all the plant/ fruit/ vegetable material down and forms compost which can be used as fertiliser
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What is the carbon cycle in nature?
the process by which The process by which carbon dioxide is put into and removed from the atmosphere
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What is the combustion reaction involved in the carbon cycle?
fossil fuel/wood + oxygen --- carbon dioxide + water + energy, fossil fuels contain carbon which is released as CO2 when they are burned
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What is the evaporation reaction involved in the carbon cycle?
sea water + sunlight --- carbon dioxide + water, carbon dioxide is dissolved in sea water, some of the water evaporates and releases CO2
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What is the decay of organic matter reaction involved in the carbon cycle?
Plants and animals decay to leave behind coal, oil and gas, when animals/plants die carbon dioxide is released by decomposers eating them
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What is the photsynthesis reaction involved in the carbon cycle?
carbon dioxide + water + light energy--- glucose + oxygen, plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
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What is the respiration reaction involved in the carbon cycle?
glucose + oxygen --- carbon dioxide + water + energy, carbon dioxide is released when living things respire- which they need to do
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Why do scientists fear that the carbon cycle may not cope anymore?
Because as we burn more fossil fuels, increasing amount of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere, which increases global warming
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What is organic waste?
Organic material such as food, garden and lawn clippings
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Why should we recycle organic kitchen and garden waste?
To reduce landfill (forms liquid which causes water pollution), reduce the production of methane (greenhouse gas) and to recycle the minerals and nutrients in the organic material
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What is biomass?
Back
The dry mass of living material in an animal or plant
Card 3
Front
What does a pyramid of biomass show?
Back
Card 4
Front
What happens to the material and energy in the biomass of organisms at each stage of a food chain?
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