ESS exam questions with correct
|| || || || ||
answers ||
Identify four ways in which solar energy reaching
|| || || || || || || ||
vegetation may be lost from an ecosystem before it || || || || || || || || ||
contributes to the biomass of herbivores. || || || || ||
reflected from the surface of a leaf, absorbed by non-
|| || || || || || || || ||
photosynthetic surface, some heat/wavelengths are || || || || ||
absorbed by the leaf but not used in photosynthesis/not
|| || || || || || || || ||
converted into chemical energy, eaten but not absorbed
|| || || || || || || ||
by herbivore/lost in faeces, absorbed by herbivore but
|| || || || || || || ||
lost through respiration.
|| ||
Suggest a series of procedures that could be used to
|| || || || || || || || || ||
estimate the net productivity of an insect population in kg
|| || || || || || || || ||
m-2 yr-1 .
|| || ||
measure change in population size over year; using
|| || || || || || || ||
Lincoln Index/mark-release-recapture; set traps/capture a
|| || || || ||
sample, mark and release them; re-set traps for a second
|| || || || || || || || || ||
capture and calculate the proportion marked and
|| || || || || || ||
unmarked; use the equation: × = 1 2 3 n n N n ; || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
,To what extent are the concepts of net productivity and
|| || || || || || || || || ||
natural income useful in managing the sustainable
|| || || || || || ||
harvesting of named resources from natural ecosystems? || || || || || || ||
[
explain how climate with high year round temperatures
|| || || || || || || ||
and lots of rainfall affect gross primary productivity.
|| || || || || || ||
these conditions will promote high gross primary
|| || || || || || ||
productivity as the year round precipitation means that || || || || || || || ||
the water supply is not limited and thus, allows for rapid
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
plant growth. The consistently warm temperatures all
|| || || || || || ||
year round also contribute to plant growth all year round
|| || || || || || || || || ||
and rapid nutrient cycling.
|| || ||
Outline one advantage for local populations within the
|| || || || || || || ||
Coral Triangle in harvesting their food from the marine
|| || || || || || || || ||
system
it does not occupy land (needed for population / housing /
|| || || || || || || || || ||
wilderness area) / less deforestation;fewer
|| || || || ||
resources/inputs required / it is cheap/free (if harvested
|| || || || || || || || ||
themselves);there is natural income available (if || || || || || ||
harvested sustainably)/annual yield from natural capital;it || || || || ||
satisfies cultural preferences;diverse range of
|| || || || ||
species/food available (within Coral Triangle);high in
|| || || || || || ||
,nutrients/protein/essential minerals such as || || || ||
iodine;weather events (droughts/floods/hurricanes) are || || || ||
less likely to destroy food sources;
|| || || || ||
Outline one advantage for local populations within the
|| || || || || || || ||
Coral Triangle in harvesting their food from terrestrial
|| || || || || || || ||
agriculture.
production is more efficient because of less loss of light
|| || || || || || || || || ||
energy;[1max]iti s more efficient because food chain is || || || || || || || ||
shorter / more efficient as food isharvested from lower
|| || || || || || || || ||
trophic level;it i s more readily harvested because it is
|| || || || || || || || || ||
less dispersed;easier to harvest / less dangerous /
|| || || || || || || ||
requires less equipment;greater diversity of food
|| || || || || ||
products/crops / people decide what to grow;reduces || || || || || || ||
threat to marine habitats from overfishing / reduces
|| || || || || || || ||
damage t o marineecosystems from fishing / reduces
|| || || || || || || ||
overfishing rates / conserving marineecosystems can || || || || || ||
make them more attractive for recreational
|| || || || ||
use/tourism;good growing condition in the area for crop
|| || || || || || || || ||
growth / high levels of insolation andrainfall (tropical
|| || || || || || || ||
conditions) in the area promote rapid crop growth || || || || || || ||
Explain two ways in which mangroves improve the water
|| || || || || || || || ||
quality for primary producers within marine ecosystems.
|| || || || || ||
, Mangroves improve the water quality for primary|| || || || || || ||
producers within marine ecosystems by filtering
|| || || || || ||
sediments/particulates/suspended solids from the || || || ||
environment. In doing so, the mangroves reduce the || || || || || || || ||
water's turbidity, increasing light penetration for
|| || || || || ||
phytoplankton, seagrass and coral. Furthermore, this || || || || || ||
process reduces sediment deposition on reef systems
|| || || || || || ||
which would smother/choke it.
|| || ||
Additionally, mangroves absorb nutrients from the water || || || || || || ||
and this is beneficial to the water quality because it
|| || || || || || || || || ||
reduces the threat of eutrophication which causes anoxic
|| || || || || || || ||
conditions that would seriously affect primary producers.
|| || || || || ||
Mangroves can remove heavy metals/toxins/pollutants
|| || || || ||
from the water. This process maintains water clarity for
|| || || || || || || || ||
light penetration that is required for photosynthesis.
|| || || || || || ||
Furthermore, it reduces sediment deposition on reef || || || || || || ||
systems that choke it. || || ||
Mangroves drop their leaves into the water which
|| || || || || || || ||
decompose and increase nutrient levels. This process|| || || || || || ||
improves growing conditions for primary producers.
|| || || || ||
Outline two possible effects of climate change on marine
|| || || || || || || || ||
coastal ecosystems ||
|| || || || ||
answers ||
Identify four ways in which solar energy reaching
|| || || || || || || ||
vegetation may be lost from an ecosystem before it || || || || || || || || ||
contributes to the biomass of herbivores. || || || || ||
reflected from the surface of a leaf, absorbed by non-
|| || || || || || || || ||
photosynthetic surface, some heat/wavelengths are || || || || ||
absorbed by the leaf but not used in photosynthesis/not
|| || || || || || || || ||
converted into chemical energy, eaten but not absorbed
|| || || || || || || ||
by herbivore/lost in faeces, absorbed by herbivore but
|| || || || || || || ||
lost through respiration.
|| ||
Suggest a series of procedures that could be used to
|| || || || || || || || || ||
estimate the net productivity of an insect population in kg
|| || || || || || || || ||
m-2 yr-1 .
|| || ||
measure change in population size over year; using
|| || || || || || || ||
Lincoln Index/mark-release-recapture; set traps/capture a
|| || || || ||
sample, mark and release them; re-set traps for a second
|| || || || || || || || || ||
capture and calculate the proportion marked and
|| || || || || || ||
unmarked; use the equation: × = 1 2 3 n n N n ; || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
,To what extent are the concepts of net productivity and
|| || || || || || || || || ||
natural income useful in managing the sustainable
|| || || || || || ||
harvesting of named resources from natural ecosystems? || || || || || || ||
[
explain how climate with high year round temperatures
|| || || || || || || ||
and lots of rainfall affect gross primary productivity.
|| || || || || || ||
these conditions will promote high gross primary
|| || || || || || ||
productivity as the year round precipitation means that || || || || || || || ||
the water supply is not limited and thus, allows for rapid
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
plant growth. The consistently warm temperatures all
|| || || || || || ||
year round also contribute to plant growth all year round
|| || || || || || || || || ||
and rapid nutrient cycling.
|| || ||
Outline one advantage for local populations within the
|| || || || || || || ||
Coral Triangle in harvesting their food from the marine
|| || || || || || || || ||
system
it does not occupy land (needed for population / housing /
|| || || || || || || || || ||
wilderness area) / less deforestation;fewer
|| || || || ||
resources/inputs required / it is cheap/free (if harvested
|| || || || || || || || ||
themselves);there is natural income available (if || || || || || ||
harvested sustainably)/annual yield from natural capital;it || || || || ||
satisfies cultural preferences;diverse range of
|| || || || ||
species/food available (within Coral Triangle);high in
|| || || || || || ||
,nutrients/protein/essential minerals such as || || || ||
iodine;weather events (droughts/floods/hurricanes) are || || || ||
less likely to destroy food sources;
|| || || || ||
Outline one advantage for local populations within the
|| || || || || || || ||
Coral Triangle in harvesting their food from terrestrial
|| || || || || || || ||
agriculture.
production is more efficient because of less loss of light
|| || || || || || || || || ||
energy;[1max]iti s more efficient because food chain is || || || || || || || ||
shorter / more efficient as food isharvested from lower
|| || || || || || || || ||
trophic level;it i s more readily harvested because it is
|| || || || || || || || || ||
less dispersed;easier to harvest / less dangerous /
|| || || || || || || ||
requires less equipment;greater diversity of food
|| || || || || ||
products/crops / people decide what to grow;reduces || || || || || || ||
threat to marine habitats from overfishing / reduces
|| || || || || || || ||
damage t o marineecosystems from fishing / reduces
|| || || || || || || ||
overfishing rates / conserving marineecosystems can || || || || || ||
make them more attractive for recreational
|| || || || ||
use/tourism;good growing condition in the area for crop
|| || || || || || || || ||
growth / high levels of insolation andrainfall (tropical
|| || || || || || || ||
conditions) in the area promote rapid crop growth || || || || || || ||
Explain two ways in which mangroves improve the water
|| || || || || || || || ||
quality for primary producers within marine ecosystems.
|| || || || || ||
, Mangroves improve the water quality for primary|| || || || || || ||
producers within marine ecosystems by filtering
|| || || || || ||
sediments/particulates/suspended solids from the || || || ||
environment. In doing so, the mangroves reduce the || || || || || || || ||
water's turbidity, increasing light penetration for
|| || || || || ||
phytoplankton, seagrass and coral. Furthermore, this || || || || || ||
process reduces sediment deposition on reef systems
|| || || || || || ||
which would smother/choke it.
|| || ||
Additionally, mangroves absorb nutrients from the water || || || || || || ||
and this is beneficial to the water quality because it
|| || || || || || || || || ||
reduces the threat of eutrophication which causes anoxic
|| || || || || || || ||
conditions that would seriously affect primary producers.
|| || || || || ||
Mangroves can remove heavy metals/toxins/pollutants
|| || || || ||
from the water. This process maintains water clarity for
|| || || || || || || || ||
light penetration that is required for photosynthesis.
|| || || || || || ||
Furthermore, it reduces sediment deposition on reef || || || || || || ||
systems that choke it. || || ||
Mangroves drop their leaves into the water which
|| || || || || || || ||
decompose and increase nutrient levels. This process|| || || || || || ||
improves growing conditions for primary producers.
|| || || || ||
Outline two possible effects of climate change on marine
|| || || || || || || || ||
coastal ecosystems ||
