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NZ Forest Floor Ecosystems

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NZ Forest Floor Ecosystems

Read the field note and use it to investigate how living and non-living factors shape a New Zealand forest floor. Give evidence for your explanations.

Field note: a damp forest patch

At dawn, a student ecologist surveys a shaded patch of podocarp–broadleaf forest in Aotearoa. The soil is moist and rich in leaf litter. A fallen log is softening as fungi and bacteria break it down. Invertebrates shelter beneath its bark; wētā feed on plant material and smaller invertebrates. Ferns and mosses grow where enough light reaches the ground. Nearby, seedlings compete for light and space. The ecologist records conditions at two sites: Site A beneath dense canopy has 3% of open-sky light, soil temperature 11°C and soil moisture 34%. Site B at a canopy gap has 18% of open-sky light, soil temperature 15°C and soil moisture 22%.

1.From the field note, identify two biotic factors and two abiotic factors. Explain why the fallen log is classed as non-living even though it came from a tree.

2.Which conclusion is best supported by the measurements?

The canopy gap has less light and wetter soil than the dense-canopy site.
The canopy gap has more light, warmer soil and drier soil than the dense-canopy site.
The dense-canopy site is warmer and has less soil moisture.
The two sites have identical abiotic conditions.

3.Explain one way the difference in light between Site A and Site B could affect plants growing there. Include a biological reason in your answer.

4.Complete the sentence using these terms: decomposers, nutrients, plants. Leaf litter is broken down by .

5.Complete the sentence using these terms: nutrients, plants. The breakdown releases into the soil.

6.Complete the sentence using this term: plants. These nutrients can then be taken up by .

7.A dry spell reduces soil moisture for several weeks. Predict one possible effect on a forest-floor animal and explain the link between the abiotic change and the animal’s response.

8.Match each relationship to its description.

Competition
Decomposition
Shelter

Fungi and bacteria break down dead material and recycle nutrients.
A fallen log provides a protected microhabitat for invertebrates.
Organisms use the same limited resource, such as light or space.

9.True or false? Fungi are abiotic because they do not move around like animals. Correct the statement if it is false.

TrueFalse

10.A researcher wants to test whether light level affects seedling growth. State the independent variable, dependent variable and one factor that should be kept the same.

11.Draw a small interaction web for this patch. Include at least three living things and two non-living factors from the field note. Use arrows and label what each arrow means, such as “provides shelter” or “needs for photosynthesis”.

Use arrows and labels to show connections between living and non-living factors.

12.Imagine a forest track is widened, creating a larger canopy gap. Predict two possible changes to the forest-floor conditions or community. For each, explain a cause-and-effect link; acknowledge that the result may depend on other factors.