4.

1 understand the terms population, community, habitat and ecosystem

Population
Number of individuals in a particular species.
Community
Populations of different species interacting.
Habitat
The area where a population lives.
Ecosystem
A community in a particular habitat made up of different populations
interacting with in the habitat.

4.7 explain why only about 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic
level to the next.
The reason why not all of the energy will make it to the next tropic level is that some of it
will be used up on the level it is at. The energy is used for the life processes of the animal that
it is in.
e.g If a bunny rabbit eats a cabbage, it will use some of the energy to keep warm, some to
move e.c.t so fox only gets some of the original energy from the cabbage.

4.9 describe the stages in the carbon cycle, including respiration,

photosynthesis, decomposition and combustion
Respiration is carried out by animals and plants to release energy from glucose, the equation
is:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O . This means carbon is produced.
Photosynthesis is what plants do to create glucose the equation is:
6 CO2 + 12 H2O C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 6 H2O. This means carbon is used.
Decomposition is happens when an animal dies, it is then eaten by a decomposer which
releases the carbon in it back into the atmosphere.
Combustion is burning, if something with carbon is burnt it will release it into the
atmosphere, e.g. a tree, fossil fuel.
This is one of many useful diagrams:

4.10 describe the stages in the nitrogen cycle, including the roles of nitrogen
fixing bacteria, decomposers, nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria
Nitrogen fixing bacteria turn nitrogen from N2 into ammonia.
Decomposers break down dead animals, urea and egested materials which releases nitrogen
into the soil as ammonia.
Nitrifying bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen.
Denitrifying bacteria break down nitrates into nitrogen which is then released into the
atmosphere.
Here is a diagram to help explain:

4.11 understand the biological consequences of pollution of air by sulfur

dioxide and by carbon monoxide
Sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide are created by many processes we use in factories and
homes. When in the atmosphere they can dissolve in rain water to create rain the is acidic.
Acid rain corrodes metals and rocks like limestone which can damage buildings and statues.

Acid rain can also change the PH in soil or rivers, this can mean that some species can not
survive in that area.

4.12 understand that water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane
and CFCs are greenhouse gases
A greenhouse gas is one that absorbs heat reflected by the earth, this heat is then trapped in
the earth's atmosphere warming the earth. In large quantities these gasses can change the
climate by keeping in too much heat. Gasses that do this include: water vapour, carbon
dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and CFCs.
A CFC is a compound that contains
only carbon, chlorine, hydrogen and fluorine.

4.13 understand how human activities contribute to greenhouse gases

Many of the processes that we carry out in homes and factories produce or release gasses
with the greenhouse effect. Many things release greenhouse gasses when they are burned;
reactions can create greenhouse gasses; some plants and animals that we keep a lot of
naturally release greenhouse gasses. Processes that produce greenhouse gasses include
burning fossil fuels and keeping large amounts of live stock.

4.14 understand how an increase in greenhouse gases results in an enhanced

greenhouse effect and that this may lead to global warming and its
consequences
The sun heats up the earth with infra-red waves that it emits, these waves travel from the sun
through the earth atmosphere and warm it up. The earth emits its own rays so that it
maintains its heat instead of just warming up forever! Many of these rays escape the earth's
atmosphere- revealing it of heat- but some are absorbed by certain gasses- Greenhouse
gasses- this means the heat is trapped within the earth's atmosphere. On a large scale this
heats the earth, which we call global warming, and this can lead to climate change: the
expected weather patterns reverse or exaggerate: this is thought to result in natural disaster
(drought, floods).

4.15 understand the biological consequences of pollution of water by sewage,

including increases in the number of micro-organisms causing depletion of
oxygen
Sewage contains nutrient which enable algae to flourish. They take up sunlight and oxygen.
Many fish die and other organisms die. Decomposers thrive on there dead bodies; meaning
even more oxygen is taken up by microorganisms.
Basically its the same process as eutrophication.

4.16 understand that eutrophication can result from leached minerals from
fertiliser
Eutrophication is when there are excessive amounts of nutrients in a lake. The effects of this
are that algae will bloom (grow quickly). Having a lot of algae will mean that there is not
enough oxygen for other organisms, they will also struggle to find enough light as algae
covers the surface. More organisms will die than usual- more algae to die/ less oxygen and
light so fish die- so decomposers will thrive; these decomposers will also use a lot of oxygen

from the water. In the end there will not be enough oxygen for fish.
Nutrient gets leached into rivers from soil as rain water runs off land into rivers and lakes
taking nutrient with it. If fertiliser has been put in the soil then the soil will be rich in certain
nutrient, especially nitrogen: so rain water runs off fertilised soil it will bring high amounts of
nutrient into surrounding rivers or lakes causing eutrophication.

4.17 understand the effects of deforestation, including leaching, soil erosion,

disturbance of the water cycle and of the balance in atmospheric oxygen and
carbon dioxide.
Leeching is basically loss of nutrient from soil. Normally nutrient is rained into the soil;
absorbed by plants; shed in their leaves/when they die; digested by decomposers so its back
in the soil. If you take away the vegetation you remove nutrients from the cycle. In addition
to this the soil is not protected by plants and so when it rains there will be a higher rate of
surface run off, this will take the nutrients from the soil with it. Soil erosion is also caused by
the fact that without plants to protect the soil there is more surface run off, because soil is
taken with it.
Plants absorb water from the soil and lose water from their leaves (through transpiration) in
to the atmosphere which goes on to make clouds. If there are less plants then less water is
evaporated into the atmosphere, this means there are less clouds; less clouds means less rain,
which can mean drought.
Plants also convert carbon dioxide into oxygen when they photosynthesise. Forests carbon
sinks, they use more carbon than they release: this means they help to make sure there aren't
too high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. When forests are cut down this process is lost and
additionally the trees are usually burnt which releases CO2 into the atmosphere.