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Ecosystems Flashcards

1
Q

biome

A

large-scale ecosystem

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2
Q

ecosystem

A

a community of living things (plants and animals) working together with the non-living environment

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3
Q

what are the biomes

A

hot desert
tropical rainforest
temperate deciduous forest
tundra
taiga (boreal coniferous forest)
tropical grassland (savannah)

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4
Q

hot desert climate

A

temperature between 30°C and 35°C, less than 250mm of rain a year

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5
Q

tropical rainforest climate

A

hot all year (23-30°C), very high rainfall (>2000mm a year)

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6
Q

savannah/grassland climate

A

warm all year (25-30°C), 1000mm annual rainfall but only in 6 months

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7
Q

tundra climate

A

cold winters, cool summers, precipitation falls mainly as snow

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8
Q

taiga climate

A

cold and dry, short summers, long winters, temperature: -10 to 15°C, 500mm rainfall a year

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9
Q

temperate deciduous forest climate

A

warm summers, mild winters, >0°C in winter, 20-25°C in summer, 500-1500mm rainfall per year

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10
Q

tundra plants and animals

A

plants with shallow roots e.g. arctic poppy, animals e.g. polar bear

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11
Q

taiga plants and animals

A

evergreen trees e.g. pine, plants with shallow roots, animals e.g. red fox, black bear

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12
Q

TDF/TDW plants and animals

A

deciduous trees that lose leaves in autumn/winter e.g. oak, birch, vegetation is in four layers, animals e.g. deer, squirrel, hedgehog

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13
Q

TRF plants and animals

A

high biodiversity of species, vegetation in 4 layers, animals e.g. toucan, sloth

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14
Q

grassland plants and animals

A

tall grasses e.g. elephant grass in wet season, animals e.g. meerkat, zebra, lion

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15
Q

hot desert plants and animals

A

short prickly shrubs e.g. fishhook barrel cactus, animals e.g. camel

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16
Q

how the biosphere provides resources for people

A

food
medicine
fuel
building materials
photosynthesis
recreation

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17
Q

biosphere importance: food

A

global demand for seafood destined for human consumption is 143.8 million tonnes per year
protein for humans (meat)
natural vegetation can be replaced by crops e.g. wheat/rice
sustainable harvests - fruit, berries, nuts

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18
Q

biosphere importance: medicine

A

poppies (morphine)
aloe vera plant
vitamin c found in oranges
lichens stop blood loss from cuts
periwinkle to treat leukaemia

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19
Q

biosphere importance: fuel

A

animal dung dried and burned
trees and shrubs
fermenting crops like sugar cane produce bioethanol
we use 82.4 million barrels of oil per day

20
Q

biosphere importance: building materials

A

timber sector generates $600 billion each year
timber/paper/straw/buildings

21
Q

biosphere importance: photosynthesis

A

20% of the oxygen we rely on comes from the tropical rainforest. 80% comes from oceans. if it gets warmer, it is less effective
trees act as a carbon sink
trees and plants provide oxygen and take in carbon dioxide from photosynthesis

22
Q

biosphere importance: recreation

A

tourism»economic income

23
Q

how are human activities degrading marine ecosystems in the UK

A
  • the development of coastlines can lead to destruction of plant and wildlife habitats e.g. salt marshes
  • climate change allows new species to move into new areas, which may alter the food web and biodiversity
  • overfishing of fish species (like cod in the North Sea) impacts the wider ecosystem and damages the food chain
  • fertilisers used by famers can lead to eutrophication from chemicals reaching the sea
24
Q

why does the TRF have a very high biodiversity?

A

rainforests offer optimum conditions for plant growth, which then supports very high animal biodiversity
there are a variety of layers in the TRF which provides many different habitats

25
causes of deforestation in the TRF
agriculture population pressure resource extraction
26
causes of deforestation in the TRF: agriculture
palm oil plantations - in demand as ingredient in foods and cosmetics, and as biofuel cattle ranching - needs vast areas of land; biggest cause of deforestation in the Amazon subsistence agriculture - land cleared to grow crops quickly loses its nutrients, so farmers clear more
27
causes of deforestation in the TRF: resource extraction
mining - rising demand and rising prices for minerals in rainforest (e.g. Carajas iron ore mine, Brazil) road building - to transport resources like iron ore and timber; often built without proper controls illegal logging - high demand for timber in the Western world
28
causes of deforestation in the TRF: population pressure
rapid population growth - rising demand for housing and agriculture. Madagascan population 4 million in 1950; 20.7 million in 2010
29
statistic about deforestation in TRF
7.3 million hectares of rainforest are cleared each year: the equivalent of 36 football pitches of forest every minute.
30
political and economic factors that have contributed to the sustainable management of the TRF
- government policies/governance - commodity value - ecotourism - reduced-impact + selective logging
31
factors contributing to the sustainable management of the TRF: governance
- National Forests belong to the state, but government can grant timber companies concessions to manage certain areas. - 31 National Forests covering 16 million hectares - an area larger than England - Biodiversity survey must be carried out before logging, to establish which areas need protection.
32
factors contributing to the sustainable management of the TRF: commodity value
- In parts of the Amazon (e.g. Paragominas) timber firms are realising that undamaged forest is a commercial asset and can yield sustainable income. - 'Sustainable management' or 'reduced-impact logging' (RIL) can be more profitable than 'clear all' methods of timber extraction. - RIL is up to 12% cheaper than conventional logging.
33
factors contributing to the sustainable management of the TRF: ecotourism
- provides local people, that rely on subsistence farming, a reliable income and better quality of life - includes entrance fees for tourists for more money for rainforest conservation, profits for education projects to promote conservation - activities to raise awareness encourage conservation - tourists visit in small groups so harm to environment is limited
34
factors contributing to the sustainable management of the TRF: reduced-impact logging
- Selected mature trees cut down - 'Seed' trees are left to help quicker regrowth - Direction of falling trees calculated to reduce damage to other trees - Less fragmentation and quicker regeneration
35
nutrient cycle/Gersmehl Model
how nutrients transfer between 3 stores: biomass, (leaf) litter and soil
36
biomass definition
the mass of living biological organisms, including microorganisms, plants or animals
37
characteristics of TRF Gersmehl model
- biomass circle is very large - soil circle is small - leaf litter circle is very very small - decomposition arrow is very large - absorption by plants arrow is quite large - leaching output arrow is very large - precipitation input arrow is very large
38
TRF Gersmehl model: Why is the biomass circle very large?
There is a lot of living vegetation in the rainforest. Lots of energy is stored here. The hot, wet conditions are ideal for growing plants
39
TRF Gersmehl model: Why is the soil circle small?
- The soil in the rainforest is not very fertile (doesn't have many nutrients) Little energy is stored there. - The many trees absorb most of the nutrients, leaving few in the soil.
40
TRF Gersmehl model: Why is the leaf litter circle very very small?
- There aren't many dead or decaying leaves on the forest floor. Not much energy is stored there. - There are no seasons in the rainforest, so there is no autumn when the leaves fall off. Instead, a few leaves die and fall constantly.
41
TRF Gersmehl model: Why is the decomposition arrow very large?
There is a lot of decomposition. Hot damp conditions mean that any dead leaves rot quickly.
42
TRF Gersmehl model: Why is the absorption by plants arrow quite large?
Plants take in a lot of nutrients very quickly. There are so many trees that any nutrients which are available are absorbed very quickly.
43
TRF Gersmehl model: Why is the leaching output arrow very large?
It rains a lot in the TRF. The rainwater dissolves the nutrients and washes them out of the soil.
44
TRF Gersmehl model: Why is the precipitation input arrow very large?
The TRF has high rainfall
45
characteristics of TDW Gersmehl model
46
Why do deciduous woodlands (TDW) have moderate biodiversity?
TDW have fewer types of species compared to TRF because: - lower food production levels in the winter - smaller size ecosystem than TRF, so less space for plant and animal species - higher latitude >> lower temperature and fewer sunlight hours: not as efficient for photosynthesis or food production for animals Some characteristics support biodiversity - TDW have rainfall all year with 4 distinct seasons which leads to different adaptations by species - the ecosystem's 4 layers create a range of wildlife habitats

Geography (6 decks)

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