Category 1
What is a native species?
A species that naturally occurs in New Zealand and has not been introduced by humans.
What is an invasive species?
A plant or animal introduced by humans that spreads quickly and harms native ecosystems.
Give one example of a human activity that affects ecosystems in Aotearoa.
Farming, deforestation, pollution, hunting, or urban development.
Name one type of trap used to control invasive species.
DOC 200 kill trap, Timms trap, Goodnature A24, cage traps.
What is a producer in a food web?
A plant or organism that makes its own food through photosynthesis.
Name one invasive animal and one invasive plant in New Zealand.
Animal: possum, stoat, rat, rabbit. Plant: gorse, old man’s beard, wilding pines.
Give an example of a native New Zealand species
Kiwi, tūī, kererū, wētā, or pōhutukawa.
How does deforestation affect native ecosystems?
It destroys habitats, reduces biodiversity, increases soil erosion, and limits carbon storage.
Give one non-trap method used to control invasive species.
Poison baiting (e.g., 1080), hunting, biological control, or habitat restoration.
Give one example of a primary consumer in NZ.
Caterpillar, kererū, or insect that eats plants.
Name two abiotic factors that support native species survival.
Sunlight, rainfall, soil type, temperature, or water availability.
How do invasive species threaten native species?
By eating native plants and animals, spreading disease, or competing for food and habitat.
What role does pollution play in harming ecosystems?
Pollutants like plastics, chemicals, or nitrates harm water, soil, and species’ health, disrupting ecosystems.
How does Predator Free NZ contribute to restoring ecosystems?
By aiming to eradicate predators like possums, stoats, and rats by 2050, which protects native birds and plants
Where would a predator like a stoat fit in a food web?
As a secondary or tertiary consumer, feeding on birds, eggs, and small animals.
How and why were possums introduced to New Zealand?
Brought from Australia in the 1830s to establish a fur trade.
Explain why protecting a native species’ habitat is important.
Habitats provide food, shelter, breeding areas, and the right conditions for survival. Without it, the species could decline or go extinct.
Explain how introduced species change the balance of ecosystems.
They outcompete natives, prey on them, or destroy habitats, reducing biodiversity and stability.
Explain how your trap design needs to be durable, effective, and safe.
Durable: withstands weather; Effective: targets the species; Safe: avoids harming humans, pets, and native animals.
Explain how energy flows through a food web.
➝ From the sun → producers → herbivores → carnivores/omnivores → decomposers, with energy lost at each stage.
What would happen to a food web if a native species went extinct?
It would disrupt the food chain, causing predators to lose food sources, prey to overpopulate, and ecosystems to become unbalanced.
Why is it difficult to completely eradicate invasive species?
They reproduce quickly, are widespread, adapt easily, and eradication methods are costly and time-consuming.
Justify why humans must take action to restore ecosystems.
Healthy ecosystems support biodiversity, provide food and clean water, reduce climate impacts, and protect cultural identity.
Propose one realistic solution for protecting native ecosystems and explain the benefits.
Planting native trees: restores habitats, improves biodiversity, absorbs carbon, and strengthens ecosystems.
If an invasive predator removes a native bird, what ripple effects might happen in the ecosystem?
Seed dispersal may stop, leading to fewer native plants; prey species may overpopulate; predators may lose food, collapsing parts of the food web.