1.6 Ecosystems, nutrient cycles and human impact

Practice questions on Ecosystems, nutrient cycles and human impact

• Deforestation is carried out in many parts of the world. Explain how deforestation can lea… (4 marks, Explain)
• Explain how the carbon stored in a dead tree is returned to the atmosphere. (4 marks, Explain)
• Explain why the nitrogen cycle is important for plants, and describe how nitrogen from the… (4 marks, Explain and Describe)
• Explain why removing all the top predators from an ecosystem would affect the populations … (4 marks, Explain)
• Explain why decomposers are important in an ecosystem. (4 marks, Explain)
• Explain how abiotic factors and biotic factors both affect the size of a population of rab… (4 marks, Explain)
• Explain why a stable ecosystem with high biodiversity is less likely to collapse than an e… (4 marks, Explain)
• Describe the role of microorganisms in the carbon cycle. (4 marks, Describe)
• Explain why decomposers are essential for returning nutrients to the soil, and describe wh… (4 marks, Explain)
• Explain how the nitrogen found in a dead animal's body is eventually made available to pla… (4 marks, Explain)
• Explain how the use of fertilisers on farmland can lead to the death of fish in nearby riv… (4 marks, Explain)
• Explain how the dumping of untreated sewage into a river can lead to a decrease in the num… (4 marks, Explain)
• Describe how the burning of fossil fuels can lead to damage to freshwater ecosystems. (4 marks, Describe)
• Describe the roles of producers and primary consumers in a food chain, and explain how ene… (4 marks, Describe)
• Explain how the use of pesticides on farmland can lead to a decrease in the population of … (4 marks, Explain)