Ecosystems And Rainforests Flashcards

1
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

All the biotic parts and the abiotic parts of an area

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2
Q

Producers

A

Use sunlight energy to produce food

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3
Q

Consumer

A

Gets its energy by eating other organisms. They eat producers or other consumers

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4
Q

Decomposer

A

Gets its energy by breaking down dead material. Bacteria and fungi

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5
Q

The Nutrient Cycle

A
  1. When dead material decomposes, nutrients are released into the soil.
  2. The nutrients are then taken up from the soil by plants. The plants can be eaten by consumers.
    3, when the plants or consumers die, the nutrients are returned to the soil.
  3. This is called nutrient cycling
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6
Q

A food chain…

A

Shows what eats what

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7
Q

A food web…

A

Shows lots of food chains and how they overlap.

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8
Q

If one part of an ecosystem changes…

A

It affects all the other parts in the ecosystem

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9
Q

Tundra

A

Found at high latitudes in Northern Europe, Canada + Alaska. Winter are cold, summers are brief and little rainfall. Not many trees. Layer of permafrost.

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10
Q

Grasslands

A

Savannah - dry + wet seasons, between tropics. Grasses.

Temperate - high latitudes, more variation in temperature, less rainfall. Just grasses.

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11
Q

Boreal Forest

A

Winters cold and dry, summer mild and moist. Trees coniferous, evergreen and have needles

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12
Q

Deciduous forest

A

Mid latitudes. Summers are warm, winter is mild, rainfall all year. Deciduous trees

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13
Q

Tropical rainforest

A

Around equator, where it’s hot and wet all year round. Dense canopies of vegetation forming distinct layers.

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14
Q

Hot Desert

A

Little rainfall, between tropics, hot during day, cold at night. Shrubs and cacti are sparsely distributed.

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15
Q

Polar

A

North and south poles. Cold, icy, dry. Dark for months, short growing season of two months.

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16
Q

Climate of tropical rainforests

A

Same all year. Hot, doesn’t vary. High rainfall (2000mm per year).

17
Q

Plants in tropical rainforest

A

Trees are evergreen. Trees are tall and vegetation cover is dense - little light reaches forest floor. Lots of epiphytes.

18
Q

Epiphytes

A

Plants that grow on other living plants and take nutrients and moisture from the air

19
Q

Soil

A

Isn’t very fertile as heavy rain washes nutrients away. Surface nutrients due to decayed leaf fall, but this layer is very thin as decay is fast in warm, moist conditions

20
Q

Animal species

A

More species than any other ecosystem.

21
Q

People

A

Indigenous people make a living here by hunting, fishing, gathering nuts and berries, and growing vegetables in pots

22
Q

Biodiversity

A

The variety of organisms living in a particular area.

23
Q

Biodiversity in rainforest

A

Very high - 50% of the world’s plant, animal and insect species (half of all life on earth!)

24
Q

Plant adaptations

A
  1. Trees compete for sunlight by growing tall.
  2. Thick, waxy leaves with pointed drip-tips - channel rainwater to the point, encouraging run-off so the weight of the water doesn’t damage the plant. No standing water for bacteria/fungi to grow in. Waxy coating repels rain.
  3. Climbing trees e.g lianas use tree trunks to reach sunlight
  4. Smooth, thin bark helps water to run off easily.
  5. Buttress roots support the trunks
  6. Leaves dropped gradually throughout the year, so they can keep growing.
25
Q

Animal adaptations

A
  1. Strong limbs to move around quickly.
  2. Short, pointed wings to manoeuvre between the dense trees.
  3. Suction cups help animals climb or flaps of skin to help them glide.
  4. Swimming to cross river channels
  5. Nocturnal so they can feed at night when it’s cooler - helps them to save energy.
  6. Increased sense of smell, detect predators without having to see them (anteaters)
26
Q

Why’s the Amazon being cut down?

A

Commercial farming (cattle ranching + grazing, soy. Subsistence farming (indigenous people, families). Commercial logging (mahogany is valuable). Mineral extraction (gold, iron ore and copper). Energy development (building hydroelectric dams). Population growth (people are being offered land when they immigrate). Road building (trans Amazonian highway)

27
Q

What are the impacts of deforestation in the Amazon?

A

CLIMATE CHANGE - Amazon stores 140 billion tonnes of CO2. Deforestation releases some CO2 (75% of brazils emissions).

SOIL EROSION - lose up to 100 tonnes of top soil every year - lead to landslides and flooding. Less interception, reduces soil fertility when water reaches the soil - nutrients are washed.

ECONOMIC - Farming brought wealth to Brazil. (600 million from beef). Mining creates jobs. Logging contributes, but destroys resources e.g timber.

28
Q

How can rainforests be managed?

A

Selective logging, replanting, ecotourism, education, reducing debt, conservation, international hardwood agreements