This checkpoint tests Block E of the unit: ecosystems, food webs, energy and matter cycling, introduced species, population changes, endangered species and Australian biodiversity.
This checkpoint covers ecosystem interactions, energy flow, matter cycling, human impacts and biodiversity. Strong answers explain how parts of an ecosystem connect and why changes in one part can affect the whole system.
Ecosystem components, producers, consumers, decomposers and food-web interactions.
Energy pyramids, energy flow through trophic levels and matter cycling in ecosystems.
Introduced species, population changes and how invasive species disrupt ecosystems.
Endangered species, Australian biodiversity, extinction threats and conservation actions.
Wrong: Energy is recycled in an ecosystem
Right: Energy flows one way through trophic levels and most is lost as heat; matter is what cycles through ecosystems.
Wrong: Introduced species always help ecosystems
Right: Introduced species often lack natural predators and can outcompete or harm native species, disrupting the whole ecosystem.
Wrong: Endangered means extinct
Right: Endangered means at serious risk of extinction; the species still exists but needs protection to survive.
Wrong: Biodiversity just means having many animals
Right: Biodiversity includes the variety of all living things and their interactions, and it helps ecosystems resist and recover from disturbances.
1. What is the main role of producers in an ecosystem?
2. In a food web, what happens to available energy at each trophic level?
3. Why do energy pyramids usually have a broad base and narrow top?
4. Which of these is part of the water cycle in an ecosystem?
5. An introduced species such as the cane toad can harm an ecosystem because:
6. A fox population increases in an area with many small native mammals. What is the most likely effect?
7. Which term describes a species that is at serious risk of extinction?
8. Why is high biodiversity important for an ecosystem?
9. Which action is most likely to help conserve a threatened native species?
10. Which statement best summarises Block E?
Visual showing energy flow through producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer and top predator levels with heat loss at each step.
Map or infographic showing introduced species locations and endangered species habitats in Australia.
Explain the difference between a food chain and a food web, and give one reason why a food web is a better model for most ecosystems. 1 mark for defining food chain. 1 mark for defining food web. 1 mark for stating food web shows more connections. 1 mark for explaining why this is more realistic.
Describe how an introduced species can change a native population. Use a real Australian example in your answer. 1 mark for naming an introduced species. 1 mark for explaining how it affects natives. 1 mark for using a real Australian example. 1 mark for explaining the ecosystem impact.
Use the ideas of energy flow, matter cycling and biodiversity to explain why protecting Australian ecosystems matters for both wildlife and people. 1 mark for explaining energy flow. 1 mark for explaining matter cycling. 1 mark for explaining biodiversity importance. 1 mark for linking to wildlife. 1 mark for linking to human benefits.
1: A. Producers make their own food using sunlight through photosynthesis.
2: C. Most energy is lost as heat at each trophic level, which is why pyramids narrow.
3: A. There are many producers and less energy reaches top predators.
4: B. Evaporation and precipitation are key parts of the water cycle.
5: B. Introduced species such as cane toads often lack natural predators and outcompete natives.
6: B. Increased fox predation is likely to reduce small native mammal numbers.
7: B. Endangered means at serious risk of extinction.
8: B. High biodiversity helps ecosystems resist and recover from disturbances.
9: B. Habitat protection and predator control are the most effective conservation actions.
10: B. This statement captures energy flow, matter cycling and human impacts on biodiversity.
A food chain shows one simple path of energy from producer to top consumer. A food web shows many interconnected food chains. A food web is a better model because most ecosystems have multiple feeding relationships, so a single chain is too simple.
1 mark for defining food chain. 1 mark for defining food web. 1 mark for stating food web shows more connections. 1 mark for explaining why this is more realistic.
Introduced species can outcompete natives for food or shelter, or prey on them directly. For example, cane toads in northern Australia poison predators such as quolls and goannas that try to eat them, causing population declines.
1 mark for naming an introduced species. 1 mark for explaining how it affects natives. 1 mark for using a real Australian example. 1 mark for explaining the ecosystem impact.
Energy flows through food webs from producers to consumers, supporting all life. Matter cycles through ecosystems so nutrients are reused. Biodiversity makes ecosystems stable and able to recover from change. Protecting Australian ecosystems matters because wildlife depends on these processes, and people benefit from clean water, pollination and healthy landscapes.
1 mark for explaining energy flow. 1 mark for explaining matter cycling. 1 mark for explaining biodiversity importance. 1 mark for linking to wildlife. 1 mark for linking to human benefits.
Living and non-living components interact through food webs and nutrient cycles.
Energy flows one way through trophic levels; matter cycles through ecosystems.
Introduced species and habitat loss disrupt populations and reduce biodiversity.
Protecting biodiversity keeps ecosystems stable and benefits wildlife and people.