Environmental Fragility Flashcards
What is environmental fragility?
The concept of an environment being vulnerable and at risk. This could be because it lacks the ability to be resilient and adapt to changes.
How does highly adapted ecosystems effect fragile cold envrionments?
- Plants and animals are adapted to extreme weather conditions.
- When something changes in the ecosystem the highly adapted species can find it hard to adapt.
How does the slow nutrient cycle of cold environments cause environmental fragility?
Cold environments experience a nutrient deprived environment and cold temperatures. This causes a slow nutrient cycle which, in turn, means plans cannot regenerate quickly and have slow decomposition.
How does the lack of biodiversity in cold environments effect the fragility of the area?
It had a harsh living environment where only certain plants and animals can survive. Therefore, every species is interlinked and effected by one another with limited food chains and animals very dependent on one another.
If a species is removed or damaged, it may effect the entire ecosystem - e.g. krill declining in Antarctica which means penguins have to migrate which also affects the seal populations.
