Topic 2.5: Flows of Energy and Matter Questions

Define the term zonation.

State two examples of environmental gradients that can produce zonation.

State two typical changes that occur as succession progresses.

Define the term ecological succession.

Define the term ecosystem resilience.

Distinguish between an r-selected pioneer species and a K-selected climax species. Give ONE named example of each and identify TWO differences in their ecological characteristics.

Describe how a transect can be used to study zonation on a rocky shore.

Distinguish between primary and secondary succession.

Describe the sequence of ecological changes that would occur on a bare lava field in Iceland over several hundred years, from initial colonisation to the eventual climax community.

Explain why the vegetation zone of coniferous forest on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand, is restricted to an altitude band of approximately 600–1,400 m, giving TWO abiotic reasons.

A student wants to study changes in plant species diversity along an altitude gradient from the base (300 m) to the summit (2,100 m) of a dormant volcano in Iceland. Describe the transect method they should use, including sampling technique and how data would be recorded.

Outline how competition can influence zonation patterns.

Define the term kite diagram in the context of zonation fieldwork.

Define the term pioneer species.

Define the term climax community.

Explain why abiotic factors can create distinct zones of organisms along a gradient.

After a fire burned 1,800 hectares of chaparral shrubland in the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa in March 2025, ecologists set up transects to monitor vegetation recovery. Explain how secondary succession would differ from primary succession in the way plant communities are re-established in the burned area.

Explain why secondary succession is usually faster than primary succession.

State one abiotic factor that changes with altitude and explain how it influences zonation on mountains.

Outline one difference between local scale zonation and global scale zonation.