e-f: Assessing pollution(e) and Parasitism and Mutualism(f)

How can pollution be assessed?

Through the presence or absence of specific organisms known as indicator species

What are the 2 things indicator species can be indicators of?

• water pollution

• air pollution

How does water pollution occur?

when raw sewages or fertilisers (both containing nitrates) leak into water.

• this results in the growth of microorganisms.

• these microorganisms respire and use up oxygen, meaning there is like oxygen for aquatic animals.

What species are indicators of very low/ no pollution?

• stonefly nymph- (low/no pollution)

• dragonfly nymph

What species are indicators of slight/ medium pollution?

• freshwater shrimp- (slight pollution)

• water louse- (medium pollution)

What species are indicators of high/ extreme pollution?

• bloodworm- (high pollution)

• sludge worm and no life - (extreme pollution)

What indicator species are indicators for air pollution?

Lichen and Blackspot fungus on flowering plants

How are lichen indicators of air pollution?

• Lichen are sensitive to sulphur dioxide pollution.

• High abundance of lichen indicate clean air

How is blackspot fungus on flowing plant indicators of air pollution? (what is it)

• Blackspot fungus is a disease on flowing plants

• It grows best in conditions with low air pollution

Give 2 advantages of indicators species?

• they ae cost efficient

• they are easy to use

Give so disadvantages of indicator species

• they don’t give accurate numeric (quantitive) figures for exactly how much pollution is present

• the presence/ absence of indicator species can be as result of other factors, such as predators or diseases

If more detail information is needed of pollution, what is used?

• chemical tests

• dissolved oxygen meters: used to very accurately determine the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water

• laboratory tests

• electronic meters: used to very accurately determine the concentration of sulphur dioxide in the air

What is sulphur dioxide?

the pollutant of air (one of the main ones)

What is nitrogen oxide?

an air pollutant released by car

(f) What are 2 examples of interactions that create interdependence?

1. Parasitism

2. Mutualism

What is Parasitism?

• it is a different type of feeding relationship

• parasites live inside or on the body of their hosts

• they feed on them or use their machinery to reproduce causing these host organisms harm

• parasite that live inside an organism needs adaptations to evade the organism’s immune system

Give 2 examples of parasites

• tape worms

• fleas

What resources do parasite gain form their host organisms?

food, shelter, and a suitable location to reproduce

What do tape worms do?

they live in the digestive system of organisms and feed on the hosts food

explain why organisms infected with tape worms may show symptoms of malnutrition?

because the tape worms feed on their food, therefore reducing the amount of food for the host

What do fleas do?

they are parasites to mammals (e.g horse, dogs)

• they live on the body of the host and feed on the hosts blood

• they cause harm to the mammal and don’t give them anything in return

What is mutualism?

a relationship between two organisms, of different species, where both organisms benefit

Give 2 examples of mutualism

• Bees and many species of flowing plants

• Sharks and Remora fish

Explain how the relationship between sharks and remora fish is an example of mutualism

• remora fish follow sharks and may even hitch a rid by attacking to the underside of the passing shark

• the remora fish eat scraps of prey dropped by the shark. - this benefits the remora fish

• they also feed on parasites that live in the sharks skin and in its mouth. - this benefits the shark

Explain how the relationship between bees and many species of flowing plants is an example of mutualism

• bees gain nectar from flower, which is food for them and provides them with energy.

• when bees visit these flowers pollution is transferred to their body

• as they visit many different flowers they transfer this pollen to them, helping the flowers to reproduce (pollinating them)