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ARHOLIADAU EXAMINATIONS
SEMESTER 2 EXAMINATIONS 2011
IBERS (BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES)
BS24810 AQUATIC & TERRESTRIAL MICROBIAL ECOLOGY
TIME ALLOWED: TWO HOURS
ANSWER FOUR QUESTIONS. ALL QUESTIONS CARRY EQUAL MARKS
1. Discuss the role of nitrification and denitfirifcation in the context of the terrestrial nitrogen
cycle
2. Using named examples, discuss how the application of DNA-based methods has
contributed to our understanding of microbial biodiversity.
3. Assess the role of aero-aquatic fungi in the decomposition of leaf litter in streams and how
they interact with other decomposers.
4. Analyse the role played by soil animals in the process of decomposition in terrestrial
ecosystems.
5. How does nutrient limitation affect which microbes are dominant in the surfaces waters of
different oceanic regions
6. Why is decomposition so much faster in a tropical rainforest than in a tundra ecosystem?
7. How do fungi in the decay of wood or leaf litter. Include details of fungal exoenzymes
which mediate lignocellulose depolymerisation
END