In the exam, there are basically 5 types of questions on this topic. Questions ask you to:

1. Describe how plants obtain solar energy.
2. Do simple calculations on energy flow between trophic levels and calculate efficiency and losses.
3. Explain the terms GPP and NPP and perform simple calculations on these.
4. Explain why focusing on energy flow is more useful than focusing on biomass.
5. Explain how human activities e.g. deforestation alter natural energy flow.

This Environmental Studies Factsheet goes through each of these questions, focusing on deciduous woodlands and tropical forests but the principles apply to all other ecosystems.

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.PDF (pdf) 1.843 MB

Publication Date

September 2015

ISSN / ISBN

ISSN: 1351-5136

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The materials published on this website are protected by the Copyright Act of 1988. No part of our online resources may be reproduced or reused for any commercial purpose, or transmitted, in any other form or by any other means, without the prior permission of Curriculum Press Ltd.

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