Ecosystems Flashcards

Question

Yellowstone gray Wolfs

Answer 1

16 packs of 10 wolves were introduced to deal with growing elk population Elk population fell from 20,000 to 10,000 in 8 years Reduces elk grazing let aspen, cottonwood and trees regenerate Stabilised eroding riverbanks Beavers attracted to aspen Less coyotes More voles, mice, rodents

Answer 2

Amazon African rainforest Madagascar rainforest

Answer 3

Morning - sun shines vertically, causing warm air and water vapour to rise Early afternoon - clouds form, high humidity Late afternoon - huge cumulonimbus clouds give heavy rain

Answer 4

1. Sun rises high in sky by midday 2. Sun heats the ground and air next to ground 3. Water vapour evaporates 4. Warm air rises 5. Air cools and condenses 6. White cumulus clouds form 7. Cumulonimbus storm clouds form 8. Heavy rain

Answer 5

Thin Not very fertile Top layers are most fertile Heavy rainfall leaches nutrients downstream

Answer 6

Heavy volumes of rain don’t damage plants and rain runs off quickly to forest floor

Answer 7

Large root systems above ground due to thin soils These anchor them in strong winds

Answer 8

Ground level plants have these to capture as much light as possible

Answer 9

Hard beaks to crack open nuts 2 forward facing and 2 backward facing claws for better grip on trees

Answer 10

Slow so algae grows on them for camouflage 3 neck bones so they can turn their heads 270*C

Answer 11

Bright colours to warn off predators Poisonous skin

Answer 12

Tallest hardwood trees Monkeys and birds live there

Answer 13

Most food Most animals Trees have no branches so they can get to light quickly Buttress roots

Answer 14

Young trees and large leaf trees

Answer 15

Dark and shaded Ferns that thrive in shade and fungi live there

Answer 16

Wrap round trees to grow up to the light

Answer 17

Rate of deforestation between 2005-2010 was double 2000-2005

Answer 18

21% since half the rainforest is protected

Answer 19

Harvest fruit and wood for fuel, slash and burn Cause little lasting damage as they leave abandon areas of the rainforest to regenerate

Answer 20

Resources (timber/water/minerals) Land (growing crops/rearing livestock)

Answer 21

Trees like mahogany and teak Causes 2% of deforestation Large trees used for furniture Small trees used for pulp and charcoal

Answer 22

In 1999 there were 10,000 hectares of the Amazon used for gold mining Today it’s over 50,000 hectares Bauxite is also extracted

Answer 23

Dams built for hydroelectric power Areas of rainforest are flooded, which causes wood to rot making water acidic which corrodes turbines

Answer 24

Hunting Poaching Trafficking Upsets and degrades natural ecosystem balance

Answer 25

Causes 80% deforestation in Brazil When pasture quality declines more rainforest is destroyed

Answer 26

Bananas Palm oil Pineapple Coffee Tea Between 1990-2010 the amount of rainforest cleared for soya beans doubled

Answer 27

All activities need workers which need places to live

Answer 28

To transport products Trans-Amazonian Highway began construction in 1972 and is 4000km long

Answer 29

Climate becomes dried due to less évapotranspiration from trees Trees absorbing carbon dioxide are felled and burnt which releases greenhouse gases Warmer air from less evaporation

Answer 30

Generates employment and income Cheap renewable power Loss of biodiversity might reduce tourism

Answer 31

Topsoil is removed by rainfall without tree cover Causes soil erosion preventing further growth

Answer 32

Rich in wood, nuts, fruit, minerals, bananas, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar Contains 50% of the worlds plants and animals and 1,000s of different species Absorb carbon dioxide to prevent climate change Holds together soil preventing harmful erosion which can soak up rivers and reservoirs Contribute 20-28% of the worlds oxygen

Answer 33

25% of all medicine comes from rainforest plants and more than 2000 plants have anti cancer properties. Less than 1% of rainforest plants have been tested by scientists High rainfall can provide hydroelectric power for isolated communities 20% of the worlds freshwater cones from the Amazon Indigenous tribes rely on the rainforest, in Peru there are over 11,000 small communities relying on the rainforest Provided employment opportunities

Answer 34

Create protected area and reserves Make subjects like ecology studies in school Stop developer damage to rainforests

Answer 35

Governments don’t want to risk stopping te rate of economic development Governments are unwilling to enforce laws protecting rainforests Corruption in the way rainforests are treated

Answer 36

International tropical timber agreement (2006) which restricts trading hardwoods and prevents illegal felling Convection on international trade in endangered species (1973) to prevent illegal trade (still worth millions) USA agreed to convert a £13.5 million debt into a fund to protect the rainforest in 2010 WWF, Fauna & Flora international work as charities to protect areas US Brazil partnership in June 2015 made promises for 12 million hectares to be reforested

Answer 37

Selective logging - felling only fully grown trees (lasts 30-40 years) Stopping illegal logging - using satellites and drones Agroforestry - allowing trees on plantations outside of the forest and crops in the forest Replanting - growing seeds in nurseries and replanting Ecotourism - educates visitors and minimises non-sustainable activity

Answer 38

North East of London 12 by 4 miles

Answer 39

Recreational Used to be used for hunting and resources

Answer 40

Oak, elm, ash, beech trees Grasses, brambles and ferns 177 different species of moss/lichen 9 amphibian and reptile species 38 bird species 700 species of fungi

Answer 41

Deciduous trees which conserve energy from photosynthesis in winter Tree litter is decomposed in spring to humas in soil which supports plant growth in hot seasons - nutrient cycling

Answer 42

Large amount of biomass due to tall trees and dense undergrowth Large soil store Large amounts of nutrients lost from heavy rainfall leaching High flow rates between litter, soil and biomass

Answer 43

Designated car park Rubbish bins Visitor centre Paths for walking Foliage maintained near roads to help deer

Answer 44

At 30* north and south of the equator there are no clouds do the full force of the sun’s rays hit the earth

Answer 45

Usually clouds would trap heat but all heat escapes so the desert is very cold at night

Answer 46

At the edge of the tropics

Answer 47

Sahara Thar Arabian Australian Atacama Mojave Kalahari Namib

Answer 48

No vegetation or bedrock weathering to form soils Weathering creates deep deposits of sand and loose material Soils have little organic content due to lack of vegetation Some soils are very fertile due to lack of nutrient bleaching

Answer 49

Thick, see-through eyelids to allow the camel to see and travel in sandstorms Fat stored in hump for emergency energy Leathery mouths to eat painfully things like sticks and stones and get water from cactuses Large, padded feet to give traction on the sand and not sink, prevents damage from hot sand

Answer 50

Small so it’s easier for them to rapidly gain and loose heat Nocturnal to avoid high daytime temperatures Burrow to reach cool sand below the surface

Answer 51

Grow slowly as deserts only get less than 250mm yearly rain Thick, waxy skin to insulate and reflect suns rays Spikes instead of leaves to decrease surface area for water loss and also a defence from being eaten by other animals They have seeds that can lie dormant for years to wait to geminate in wet conditions

Answer 52

Increasing unsustainable use of deserts leads to threatened interdependence Desert fragility affects biodiversity Vegetation stabilises soils to stop them being blown away (desertification)

Answer 53

2 million people live in Las Vegas and 4.5 million people live in Phoenix

Answer 54

High temps and sunlight ideal for farming Aquifers are used to bring water to the surface through wells Large scale canals provide 80% of Colorado’s water

Answer 55

Copper, uranium, lead, zinc, coal mined Uranium poses a risk to wildlife Copper is extracted in Arizona

Answer 56

5,000 people worked on the Hoover dam Sonoran solar project in Arizona which will provide energy for 100,000 homes and 360 workers Oil had been mined in Arizona since 1905

Answer 57

National parks like the Grand Canyon Las Vegas has 37 million visitors yearly Colorado museum in Arizona (local culture)

Answer 58

Less than 1 person lives per km2 Lack of surfaced road Las Vegas airport receives 40 million annually

Answer 59

Flat roofs collect rainwater Sports pitches use fake grass Drought resistant desert landscaping River Colorado is 2300km

Answer 60

Whitewashed houses to reflect suns heat rays Wide brimmed hats are worn Small houses keep temperatures low

Answer 61

The process by which land becomes drier and degraded due to climate change and human activities

Answer 62

Higher rainfall than deserts so have more biodiversity Shortgrass prairie in North America Sahel in Africa

Answer 63

Long term reduction in rainfall

Answer 64

Population growth Firewood removal Overgrazing by cattle rearing Over cultivation Soil erosion Climate change (more frequent droughts)

Answer 65

In Sahel desert fringe 1/5 years are drought Growing population 2003 conflict over water where 250,000 were killed Over grazing

Answer 66

Half-moon shapes holes to collect water Agroforestry, planting trees on farmland

Answer 67

Stabilises soils Decomposing lead utter adds nutrients “Green wall” proposed by African countries union to generate work and reduce conflict

Answer 68

Fuel wood replaced by “efficient stoves” distributed by charities (practical action) Stone lines spread water flow

Ecosystems Flashcards

(99 cards)