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Ecosystems and Material Cycles

Indicator species and pollution

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 2

Overview

Indicator species, the bloodworms, sludgeworms, freshwater shrimps and stonefly nymphs that show polluted or clean water, lichens and blackspot fungus as indicators of sulfur dioxide in the air, and the advantages and limitations of using indicator species.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What is an indicator species?

Key term

Name two invertebrates whose presence in a river indicates that the water is polluted.

Key term

Name two invertebrates found in clean, well-oxygenated fresh water.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is an indicator species?

    Model answer

    An indicator species is an organism whose presence or absence shows how polluted an environment is.

  2. 2

    Name two invertebrates whose presence in a river indicates that the water is polluted.

    Model answer

    Bloodworms and sludgeworms.

  3. 3

    Name two invertebrates found in clean, well-oxygenated fresh water.

    Model answer

    Freshwater shrimps and stonefly nymphs.

  4. 4

    A sample from a stream contains many sludgeworms and no stonefly nymphs. What does this suggest about the water?

    Model answer

    The water is polluted and contains very little dissolved oxygen.

  5. 5

    Explain why bloodworms survive in water where stonefly nymphs cannot.

    Model answer

    Bloodworms tolerate very low oxygen concentrations, whereas stonefly nymphs only survive in well-oxygenated water.

  6. 6

    How can the lichens growing on trees and walls be used to judge air quality?

    Model answer

    A wide variety of lichens, especially bushy ones, indicates clean air, while their absence indicates air polluted with sulfur dioxide.

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ANitrates cause an algal bloom that blocks the light.
BWater plants die and decay.
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