Keeping NZ green topic test

Biodiversity

Biodiversity

The variety of living things in a specific place

Kaitiakitanga

Conservation, preservation and guardianship of the environment and resources

Give a reason for why biodiversity in an ecosystem is important.

All organisms in an ecosystem are interrelated. Removal of just one organism will affect all organisms in the ecosystem

Explain why plant biodiversity is vital to the biodiversity of other organisms.

Plants produce food for all organisms, so having a wide range of plants will support a wide range of consumers

Seed dispersal

The spreading of seeds away from the parent plant

Why do seeds need to disperse?

To reduce competition for nutrients and light, and also to colonise new areas

Seed dispersal example involving animals eating them + Describe adaptation

Strawberry, fruit is nutritious

Seed dispersal example involving animal fur + Describe adaptation

Bidibidi, hooks on the seed

Seed dispersal example involving explosion + Describe adaptation

Gorse, pods pop when heated

Seed dispersal example involving wind + Describe adaptation

Sycamore, aerodynamic wing

Seed dispersal example involving water + Describe adaptation

Coconut, air pocket

Stigma

Catches pollen

Style

holds up the stigma

Ovary

contains ovules, swells to form fruit

Ovule

contains egg cell, forms a seed

Anther

produces pollen

Filament

holds up anther

Sepals

protect the young flower/bud

Petals

attract insects

Pollination

Transfer of pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another of the same species

Fertilisation

When egg and sperm fuse

What happens when fertilisation occurs in a flower?

The male sex cell from the pollen fuses with the female sex cell from the ovule. A seed forms and the ovary swells forming a fruit.

Compare and contrast between the structures of wind pollinated plants and animal pollinated plants

Both have stamens to produce pollen and both have stigmas to capture pollen.

The stigma and stamens of wind pollinated plants are outside the flower so the wind can carry the pollen and the stigma can catch it.

The stigma and stamens of animal pollinated plants are inside the flower as the animal will get inside it to collect nectar/pollen/wax.

Animal pollinated plants have a nectary to produce nectar, brightly coloured petals and a scent which attracts animals to the flower. Wind pollinated plants do not need to attract animals so they do not have these structures.

Compare and contrast between the pollen produced by wind pollinated plants and animal pollinated plants

Pollen from both has small spikes to attach to the stigma.

Pollen from wind pollinated plants is lighter, smaller and smoother than animal pollinated pollen to improve its aerodynamics when carried by the wind.

Pollen from animal pollinated plants have larger spikes than wind pollinated pollen so that the pollen can stick to animal fur.

Write the word equation for photosynthesis

Carbon dioxide + water —> (sunlight, chlorophyll) —> glucose + oxygen

What is starch?

Glucose molecules joined together in chains

Why do we find starch in leaves?

The glucose formed during photosynthesis in leaf cells can be stored as starch, for use during low/no light environments.

What is the positive test for starch?

Iodine solution turns the sample blue-black

Explain why the other parts of the leaf would not test positively for starch.

The black card will prevent light from reaching leaf, and light is necessary for photosynthesis.

The white part of the leaf does not contain the pigment chlorophyll, and chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis to occur.

No photosynthesis occurs where these areas, so no glucose is produced. There will be no glucose to form chains of starch in these areas, so the area will not turn blue-black (the positive test for starch).