STRUCTURED QUESTIONS 1. (a) In an ecosystem, organisms are classified according to their roles in a feeding Relationship.

What is term used for each stage in the feeding relationship? [1m] Write down the first 4 levels of organisms according to their feeding relationship. [1m] Name the category of organisms which do not depend on others for their food supply. [1m] List down the important abiotic factors which are important for living organisms in an ecosystem. [3m] List down two characteristics of the biomes taiga and tundra. [4m]

(b) (c) (d) (e)

2.

(a) (B) (c) (d)

In what way does community differ from ecosystem? [1m] Biome is characterised by ________ [1m] Differentiate between habitat and niche. [2m] Suggest why i. it is difficult to place omnivores in a trophic level. [2m] ii. there is a difference in energy content between omnivores and carnivores [2m]

3.

a. b.

What are the two types of food chains in an ecosystem? [2m] Figure 3 shows the energy flow through a food chain in an ecosystem.

I. Ii. Iii. iv. v.

How many trophic levels are there in the food chain? [1m] The grass does not use all the energy that reaches it to make new tissues. Give three reasons for this. [3m] Calculate the amount of energy used for photosynthesis (X). [2m] The total rate at which producers synthesise organic matter is known as ______ [1m] Calculate the percentage efficiency of energy transfer from the cow to the tiger. [1m]

4.

Figure 4 shows a simple aquatic ecosystem.

a. B.

i. What is an ecosystem? [1m] ii. Name the organisms that are part of the pond community. [1m] Salmon is a type of fish found in Norway. The food chain involving the salmon below is Represented in biomass (g m-2)

i. ii. III.

Sketch and label a pyramid of biomass based on the information given. [1m] Explain why the biomass of phytoplankton is lower than that of the zooplankton. What is meant by population? [1m]

c.

The table shows the estimated energy content of three trophic levels in a grassland ecosystem.

Producers Herbivores Carnivores

Energy content / kJ m-2 5000 130 15

I Ii Iii

Calculate the energy decrease percentage between the producers and herbivores and between herbivores and carnivores. [1m] In most communities, the biomass of primary consumers is less than the biomass of producers. Explain why this is so. [2m] State what happens to the energy assimilated by producers but do not flow to the primary consumers. [1m]

ANSWERS 1. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Trophic level producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer Producers Climate factors, edaphic factors, topographic factors Taiga evergreen conifers, migratory, or hibernating animals Tundra permafrost, very low temperature, tall plants absent, little annual rainfall, short growing season (any two). Community refers to the populations of different species living in the same place at any one time, interacting with each other whereas ecosystem refers to the area in which communities of organisms interact with each other and with their abiotic components. Climate region, soil type and altitude Habitat refers to the area in which an individual lives whereas niche refers to role an organism has in the area it lives in. (i) Omnivores feed on both plants and animals, hence they can occupy the second and third trophic level (II) Since omnivores feed on both plants and animals, they have a higher energy content compare to the carnivores which feed only on other animals. Grazing food chain and detritus food chain (i) 3 (ii) Some energy is lost to the environment by reflection, transmitted, not absorbed or used for evaporation (any three) (iii) (1.0 x 106 0.99 x 106 5000) kJ m-2 y-1 = 5000 kJ m-2 y-1 (iv) Gross primary productivity (v) 60 / 600 x 100 = 10% (i) Ecosystem refers to the area in which communities of organisms interact with each other and their abiotic components (ii) Phytoplankton, fish, aquatic plants, Lemna , decomposer and snails. (i)
Salmon Zooplankton Phytoplankton n

2.

(a)

(b) (c) (d)

3.

(a) (b)

4.

(a)

(b)

1.7 g m-2 21 g m-2 4 g m-2

(ii) (iii) (c) (i)

(ii)

(iii)

The total number of zooplankton is higher than that of the phytoplankton. Population refers to a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area at any one time. Energy decrease percentage between producers and herbivores = [(5000 130) / 5000] x 100 = 97.4% Energy decrease percentage between herbivores and carnivores = [(130 15) / 130] x 100 = 88.4% During the transfer of energy from the producers to the primary consumer, energy is lost as respiration, evaporation, and heat. Not all energy from the producers is absorbed by the primary consumers, some may remain undigested and are not absorbed. Used for respiration and photorespiration.