living world Flashcards
(53 cards)
where is amazon rainforest located?
amazon rainforest is located in south america
how big is the amazon rainforest ans how much of it is lost each year
largest rainforest on earth and covers an area of around 8 million km^2
7.3 million hectares of the rainforest are lost each year
impacts of deforestation in the amazon
economic development
soil erosion
climate change
loss of biodiversity
how does deforestation bring economic impacts
logging, mining and farming create jobs —> a lot of money is made from selling timber
how does deforestation bring soil erosion
soil is more exposed to rainfall which means valuable nutrients in the soil are washed away —> need to use fertilisers to help plants grow —> fertilisers washed into rivers by rain which kills animals
how does deforestation bring climate change
less trees to absorb co2 in the atmosphere
75% of brazils CO2 emissions come from deforestation
how does deforestation bring loss of biodiversity
amazon is home to 50% of worlds plant and animal species
if deforestation takes place then they lose habitats
Define ‘ecosystem’
an ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things
producer
An organism that uses the sun to produce energy/food for itself. e.g. green plants
consumer
An organism that gets its energy by eating another organism i.e. it eats other
producers or consumers.
decomposer
An organism that gets its energy from breaking down dead material (dead plants and animals). An example of a decomposer is bacteria and fungi
food chain
A food chain shows what eats what in an ecosystem.
food web
shows what eats what and how they overlap
nutrient cycle in simple terms
• When plants and animals die, they decompose into the soil.
• They add nutrients back to the soil
• These nutrients are then taken back up by plants
• These plants may be eaten by consumers, therefore the nutrients are
received by the consumer
• The consumer eventually dies and nutrients are added back to the soil.
• The cycle repeats
Describe the characteristics of the tundra?
(location, climate, plants, animals?)
• Location - high latitudes ~60°N of equator
• Cold temperatures
• Little rainfall
• Limited vegetation
Name the 8 main global ecosystems
- Hot desert
- Tropical rainforest
- Polar
- Tundra
- Temperature deciduous forest
- Tropical grassland (savanna)
- Temperate grassland
- Coniderous forest (taiga)
Describe the characteristics of tropical rainforests?
(location, climate, plants, animals?)
• Found around equator
• Hot temperatures (around 28°-30°C)
• Wet all year around (average 2,000mm per year)
• Lots of vegetation and animals
Describe the characteristics of hot deserts?
(location, climate, plants, animals?)
• Location: 15° and 35° north and south of the equator
• Very hot
• Very dry
• Sandy soil
• Some cacti
Describe the characteristics of deciduous forests?
(location, climate, plants, animals?)
This the biome of the UK
• Location; ~40°-50° north of equator
• Warm summers, cold winters
• Leaves fall off during winter to retain moisture
• Variety of woodland animals
Describe the characteristics of coniferous forests (taiga)?
(location, climate, plants, animals?)
• Location:~50°-60° north of equator
• Cool temperatures
• High raintall
• Animals: Moose, reindeer, shrews
• Plants: evergreen trees
Describe the characteristics of tropical grassland
(savanna)?
(location, climate, plants, animals?)
• Location: 15°-30° north and south of equator
• Wet and dry seasons
• Temperature: 20-30°C
• Animals: lions, elephants
where are tropical rainforests located
Generally around the equator
climate in tropical rainforests
• Constantly high temperatures throughout the year (28-30°C)
•High levels of rainfall (~2000mm per year)
Why is it hot and wet in the tropical rainforest?
• Hot temperatures: Topical rainforests are found around the equator
where the suns rays are most concentrated
• High rainfall: low pressure cell means air can rise, creating lots of clouds
