Year 10 Geography: Topographic Mapping Skills & Ecosystem Functioning

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering topographic mapping skills and ecosystem concepts for Year 10 Geography review.

What is the difference between an Area Reference (AR) and a Grid Reference (GR)?

An Area Reference (AR) is a 4-digit reference showing a general area, whereas a Grid Reference (GR) is a 6-digit reference showing a more exact location.

Which grid lines are read first when finding a grid reference, and what directional lines do they represent?

EASTINGS (vertical grid lines) are read first, followed by NORTHINGS (horizontal grid lines).

What memory trick is used for reading grid references?

“Along the corridor, up the stairs.”

How are bearings measured and written?

Bearings give direction measured CLOCKWISE from NORTH and are always written using 3 digits.

What are the 3-digit compass bearings for North, East, South, and West?

North = 000°, East = 090°, South = 180°, and West = 270°.

At a map scale of 1 : 25,000, what ground distance is represented by 1 cm on the map?

1 cm on the map equals 25,000 cm or 250 m in real life (making 4 cm = 1 km).

What do close contour lines and far apart contour lines indicate about land slope?

Contour lines close together indicate a STEEP slope, while lines far apart indicate a GENTLE slope.

How are hills and valleys depicted using contour lines?

A hill is shown by closed contour lines with elevation generally increasing towards the centre. A valley is shown by contour lines forming a V shape that points upstream or towards higher ground.

What is the formula for calculating local relief?

$$\text{Local relief} = \text{highest elevation} - \text{lowest elevation}$$

What is the local relief if the highest elevation is $600\,\text{m}$ and the lowest elevation is $250\,\text{m}$?

$$600\,\text{m} - 250\,\text{m} = 350\,\text{m}$$

What is aspect in geography, and what environmental conditions can it affect?

Aspect is the direction a slope faces. It can affect sunlight, temperature, moisture, and vegetation.

How can you determine the direction of river flow on a topographic map?

Rivers flow from HIGH elevation to LOW elevation. Contour lines crossing a river form a V shape pointing upstream, so water flows in the opposite direction of the V.

What components represent temperature and rainfall on a climate graph?

Temperature is represented by a line (°C) and rainfall is represented by bars (mm).

What is a cross-section in topographic mapping?

A cross-section is a side-on view showing how the height of land changes between two points.

What is the definition of an ecosystem?

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their non-living environment.

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem?

Biotic factors are living things (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria), whereas abiotic factors are non-living things (sunlight, water, temperature, soil, air).

What are the four main types of ecosystem interactions and their definitions?

Predation (one organism hunts and eats another), Competition (organisms compete for limited resources), Mutualism (both organisms benefit), and Parasitism (one organism benefits while the other is harmed).

What is the primary sequence of energy flow through an ecosystem?

SUN → PRODUCERS → CONSUMERS → DECOMPOSERS

How do producers, consumers, and decomposers obtain energy?

Producers make their own food through photosynthesis; consumers get energy by eating other organisms; decomposers break down dead material and waste.

What does the direction of the arrow represent in a food chain?

The arrow shows the direction of energy transfer to the organism eating it.

How does nutrient flow differ from energy flow in an ecosystem?

Unlike energy, nutrients are recycled through ecosystems (e.g., carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles), where decomposers return nutrients back to the soil.