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Quizzes //
Nutrient cycles and global ecosystems
Test your knowledge of nutrient cycles and global ecosystems with this 15-question GCSE quiz.
If you haven't already done it, work through the nutrient cycle web enquiry on the PowerPoint. Or do it again to help fill in any gaps in what you know!
HIGH SCORES
| Rank | Name | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | JHO | 30 |
| 2nd | LOR | 30 |
| 3rd | ZKA | 30 |
| 4th | E.K | 30 |
| 5th | FIN | 30 |
| 6th | SFK | 30 |
| 7th | BRJ | 30 |
| 8th | E.B | 30 |
| 9th | J.T | 30 |
| 10th | PMY | 30 |
QUIZZES // Nutrient cycles and global ecosystems
Q1. Which one of the following is an important nutrient for plants?
Nitrogen
Lead
Carbon
Mendelevium
Q2. Which one of these is the best definition of the term ‘cycle’ in the phrase ‘nutrient cycle’?
A system with inputs and outputs.
Events in the order in which they occur.
A process that goes round and round.
A series of organisms which eat each other.
Q3. Which one of these returns nutrients to the soil in the nutrient cycle?
When the ground is saturated.
When plants die or lose leaves.
When an animal eats a plant or another animal.
When farmers harvest crops from a field.
Q4. The three stores in a nutrient cycle diagram are labelled S, B and L. What do these stand for?
Sodium, Bromine, Lithium
Surface, Bedrock, Lifeforms
Soil, Biomass, Litter
Sub-aerial, Biome, Littoral
Q5. Which one of these transfers in the nutrient cycle diagram is where bacteria release nutrients from dead plants and animals back into the soil?
Weathering
Leaching
Decomposition
Littering
Q6. Which one of these transfers can bring nutrients into an ecosystem?
Plant uptake
Surface run-off
Leaching
Weathering
Q7. Which one of these is the abbreviation used for littering in a nutrient cycle diagram?
Li
Le
L
LG
Q8. Nutrient cycle diagrams that show differences between ecosystems are called…
Gurlzmell diagrams
Gersmehl diagrams
Gerstner cycles
Gesundheit cycles
Q9. Which one of these is a feature of a tropical rainforest nutrient cycle diagram?
Litter is the biggest store.
Soil is the biggest store.
Biomass is the biggest store.
All the stores are equal in size.
Q10. Which one of these is a feature of a desert nutrient cycle diagram?
Litter is the biggest store.
Soil is the biggest store.
Biomass is the biggest store.
All the stores are equal in size.
Q11. Which one of these is a feature of a taiga nutrient cycle diagram?
Litter is the biggest store.
Soil is the biggest store.
Biomass is the biggest store.
All the stores are equal in size.
Q12. Which one of these explains why nutrients cycle so quickly in the tropical rainforest ecosystem?
Warm, wet conditions mean that decomposition is rapid and so is plant growth.
Heavy rainfall leaches nutrients from the soil or out of the litter layer in surface run-off.
There is very little rain so nutrients are not lost through runoff or leaching.
Decomposition happens slowly because so much litter is produced.
Q13. Which one of these is a reason for why tropical rainforest soils are low in nutrients?
Low plant uptake
Rapid decomposition
Massive biomass
Small soil store
Q14. Which one of the following explains why most nutrients in desert ecosystems remain in the soil?
Few plants can survive in the hot, dry conditions so not much litter is produced.
There is very little rain, so there is little run-off or leaching.
The dry conditions mean that decomposition is slow.
Weathering of the bedrock happens slowly in the very dry conditions.
Q15. What two factors are on the two axes of the graph of different ecosystem nutrient cycle diagrams on the presentation?
Temperature (y axis) and precipitation (x axis)
Nutrients (y axis) and time (x axis)
Longitude (y axis) and latitude (x axis)
Stores (y axis) and transfers (x axis)
Finished!
You scored this time. The more correct answers you give, and the fewer incorrect answers you guess, the better your score.
