IGCSE COMBINED

SCIENCE 0653

Prepared by Ms Geetha Subramaniam(M.Ed)

 BIOLOGY CHEMISTRY PHYSIC
Syllabus 0653 B1 Characteristic of Living C1 the particulate nature of pq Motion
organism matter
B2 Cells C2 experimental techniques P2. Matter and forces

B3 Enzymes C3 Atoms, elements and P3. Energy, work and power

compounds
B4 Nutrition C4. Stoichiometry P4. Simple kinetic molecular
model of matter

B5 Transportation C5. Electricity and chemistry P5. Matter and thermal

properties

B6 Respiration C6. Energy changes in P6. Transfer of thermal

chemical reactions energy

B7 Coordination & Response C7. Chemical reactions P7. Waves

B8 reproduction C8. Acids, bases and P8. Light
salts

B9 Energy flow in C9. The Periodic P9. Electromagnetic

ecosystem Table spectrum

B10 Human C10. Metals P10. Sound

influences on the
ecosystem
C11. Air and water P11. Electricity

C12. Organic P12. Electric circuit

chemistry
Topic :

HUMAN INFLUENCES ON
ECOSYSTEM
 List the undesirable effects of deforestation (to include
extinction, loss of soil, flooding, carbon dioxide build-
up).
• Species extinction through habitat loss – the destruction of habitats and/ or food sources for animals can result in their extinction.
It should also be noted that the destruction of forest habitats also reduces the diversity of plants and animals, thus disrupting several
food chains.
• Soil erosion – Fewer trees and flora, in general, mean that there are fewer roots to hold the soil. This means that each time it rains, a
thin layer of soil is washed away. This causes soil erosion and leaching of minerals (leaching is when a soluble chemical or mineral
is washed away from the soil by rainwater). The eventual result is that the land becomes a desert.
• Flooding – soil erosion is washed into rivers, causing them to fill up or become blocked. This causes flooding. The loss of flora also
means that there are no plant roots to take up rainwater, which means more rainwater washes into nearby streams and rivers. This
makes flooding easier.
• Carbon dioxide build-up – Forests have high rates of photosynthesis, which means a great deal of carbon dioxide is removed from
the atmosphere by the flora in forests. Therefore, deforestation means that a lot less carbon dioxide will be removed from the
atmosphere, causing an increase in the CO2 levels in the atmosphere
Describe the undesirable effects of overuse of fertilisers (to
include eutrophication of lakes and rivers).
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

1. Inorganic fertilisers,
used by farmers on their
crops, may be washed
into lakes and rivers.
The fertiliser is
originally sprayed to
replace nutrients that
previous crops have
removed from the soil.
n.b. Untreated sewage has
the same effect as
excess fertiliser.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

1. Inorganic fertilisers,
used by farmers on their
crops, may be washed
into lakes and rivers.
The fertiliser is
originally sprayed to
replace nutrients that
previous crops have
removed from the soil.
n.b. Untreated sewage has
the same effect as
excess fertiliser.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

2. Growth. - of water
plants caused by the
fertiliser or sewage
happens rapidly. The
nitrogen in particular is
taken up quickly by the
plants and used to make
protein for growth of
new and existing shoots.
= ALGAL BLOOM
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

3. Death – of some of these

plants due to lack of
light from over-
crowding. The plants
literally choke
themselves to death as
they try to gain
sufficient light from the
Sun, and more nutrients
from the water.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

4. Micro-organisms -
which feed on dead
organisms now increase
massively in number.
These are the
putrefying bacteria
which breakdown dead
organic material via
respiration, and release
simpler substances for
recycling.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

5. Oxygen – is used up
quickly by this huge
number of micro-
organisms. The process
of breakdown is
respiration, i.e. the
micro-organisms respire
the organic material and
use oxygen in doing so.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

6. Suffocation – of fishes
and other aquatic
animals due to lack of
oxygen in the water.
Eventually almost all
oxygen is removed from
the water, so there is
insufficient for larger
organisms, and they
subsequently die.
 Eutrophication
A six-stage process

6. Suffocation – of fishes
and other aquatic
animals due to lack of
oxygen in the water.
Eventually almost all
oxygen is removed from
the water, so there is
insufficient for larger
organisms, and they
subsequently die.
EUTROPHICATION

Fertilisers are water soluble, so are easily leached out of the soil
and washed into rivers and lakes. Algal bloom occurs – the algae
absorb the fertilisers and grow rapidly.

This means that the algae will blanket the surface of the lake,
blocking sunlight from the plant life below.

Algae and plants below the surface die as a result. Bacteria

decompose the dead algae and plants, using up the oxygen in the
water for respiration, causing the animals to die too.
Describe the undesirable effects of
pollution, to include:
• Water pollution by sewage and chemical waste
• Air pollution by greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and
methane) contributing to global warming.
Water pollution:

Chemical wastes such as phosphates can cause eutrophication, which, as we have learned, can be disastrous.
Some chemical wastes can be toxic to certain species of plants or animals, or two inert chemicals in combination
could react to form a toxic compound, or, even if the chemicals weren’t dumped into water bodies, they could
still be leached into water bodies. Even if a chemical only harms one species, this could disrupt a food chain and
decrease the species diversity in that ecosystem. If such chemical wastes enter the drinking water supply, that
could be extremely harmful.

Sewage, which consists of urine and faeces, contains high levels of nutrients such as phosphates, organic matter
and bacteria. Phosphates act as fertilisers for algae, thus resulting in algal bloom.

Sewage also contains organic matter which bacteria breakdown by aerobic respiration, thus allowing them to
multiply and deoxygenate the water.

Sewage may also contain disease-causing bacteria, which could get into drinking water supplies, causing serious
maladies such as cholera or typhoid.
 Water pollution by chemical waste
Chemical wastes such as phosphates
can cause eutrophication, which, as
we have learned, can be disastrous.
Some chemical wastes can be toxic
Even if a chemical only harms one
to certain species of plants or
species, this could disrupt a food
animals, or two inert chemicals in
chain and decrease the species
combination could react to form a
diversity in that ecosystem. If such
toxic compound, or, even if the
chemical wastes enter the drinking
chemicals weren’t dumped into
water supply, that could be
water bodies, they could still be
extremely harmful.
leached into water bodies.
 Water pollution by sewage

Sewage may also contain

Sewage also contains organic
disease-causing bacteria, which Sewage, which consists of urine
matter which bacteria breakdown
could get into drinking water and faeces, contains high levels
by aerobic respiration, thus
supplies, causing serious of nutrients such as phosphates,
allowing them to multiply and
maladies such as cholera or organic matter and bacteria.
deoxygenate the water.
typhoid.
 AIR POLLUTION
CO2 and methane (CH4) are both greenhouse gases. They’re called greenhouse gases because they trap heat in
the Earth’s atmosphere in the same way a greenhouse traps heat.

CO2 is produced in the combustion of fossil fuels, and methane is produced in the decay of organic matter and as
a waste gas from digestive processes in cattle.

As the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere rise, more heat is trapped, making the atmosphere warmer.
This is called the enhanced greenhouse effect. It causes global warming – the rise of Earth’s average temperature.

Global warming can result in the melting of ice caps (which can destroy ecosystems near the poles), the rise of
sea levels which causes flooding in coastal regions, deadly heat strokes, changing weather conditions due to
flooding and reduced rainfall, and the extinction of some species that can’t survive at higher temperatures.
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is
unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of
hydrogen ions. It can have harmful effects on plants,
aquatic animals, and infrastructure.

• Damage to leaves, killing plants

• Acidification of lakes, killing animals (this is a major
effect)
• The release of aluminium from the soil into lakes and
aluminium is toxic to fish (also a major effect)
• Increased risk of asthma attacks and bronchitis in
humans
• Corrosion of stonework on buildings, especially
structures made of marble (marble contains calcium
carbonate, which readily reacts with acids).
 There are several measures that could be taken to reduce the reduce the incidence of
acid rain:

Changing power stations from coal and oil to renewable energy sources will reduce the emission of several waste
gases, including sulfur dioxide.

Using ‘scrubbers’ in power station chimneys removes sulfur dioxide from the exhaust gases. ‘Scrubber’ is the
informal name for flue gas desulfurization (FGD).

Using catalytic converters in car exhausts ensures that oxides of nitrogen are converted to harmless nitrogen gas.

Another possible route is switching to electric cars instead of traditional fuel powered cars.
 Discuss the causes and effects on the environment of acid rain, and the measures that might be taken to reduce its incidence.

• When fossil fuels with impurities such as sulfur or nitrogen are combusted, Sulfur dioxide and oxides of
nitrogen are released into the air. Nitrogen oxides are also a pollutant gas that may be released in car exhaust
CAUSE fumes. Another way that Nitrogen oxides are made is during lightning
S
• About 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere consists of nitrogen gas and 21% is oxygen. Nitrogen gas, N2, is
extremely unreactive. However, under extreme conditions, it may react. So, when lightning strikes and the
surrounding air is heated to a very high temperature and severely ionised, nitrogen reacts with oxygen to form
CAUSE nitrous oxides.
S

• Nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide can travel very high into the atmosphere, and be carried long distances by the
wind. When they mix and react with the water in the atmosphere, they form acidic pollutants such as sulfuric
CAUSE acid (H2SO4), sulphurous acid (H2SO3), nitric acid (HNO3) and nitrous acid (HNO2). These acids dissolve in
water, and fall back to Earth when it rains, causing acid rain.
S
Describe the need for conservation of:
Species and their habitats

Ethical reasons – it is our responsibility to look after the Earth and all life on it.

Many species are in danger of extinction due to habitat destruction, the introduction of alien species (they are
called alien species as they are foreign to that ecosystem), international trade, pollution, hunting, poaching, etc.

Loss of species also means that genes are lost – these may be important in future for genetic engineering.

The presence of rare species and/or beautiful habitats could be an important source of money for poor
communities, through tourism.

Many plants have important medicinal value.

The species may play an important role in a food chain so its endangerment could lead to the endangerment of
several other species
 Describe the need for conservation of: Natural resources (limited to water and non-renewable materials including fossil fuels).

• Habitats can be conserved by introducing legislation that protects the habitat, such as fining on pollution, cutbacks on carbon
emissions, laws against hunting and poaching, etc.

• Using wardens to protect habitats, and creating national parks and wildlife reserves are also very useful. Reducing or
controlling public access to these habitats also goes a long way in their conservation (the public may litter in or damage the
habitat). Controlling factors such as water drainage and grazing could also help preserve the habitat.

• Natural resources are non-renewable, and therefore need to be conserved.

• They can be conserved by increasing the use of renewable resources and improving the efficiency of energy (e.g. better
insulation, smaller car engines, more public transport, using more energy efficient appliances, etc.). Another method is
replanting the trees as they are cut down, preventing the increase of the greenhouse effect, and allowing habitats to be
maintained.