Sustaining Ecosystems

Question 1

1. Define the term ‘ecosystem’

Answer 1

• A community of plants and animals and the environment in which they live

Question 2

2. What are the biotic components of an ecosystem?

Answer 2

Plants (flora) and animals (fauna)

Question 3

3. What are the abiotic components of an ecosystem?

Answer 3

Non-living parts of the ecosystem: climate, soil

Question 4

4. Give two examples of links between biotic and abiotic components in an ecosystem.

Answer 4

When plants die they decay and release nutrients into the soil
Plant take up water from the soil through their roots

Question 5

5. In the context of the nutrient cycle
   define the terms ‘biomass’ and ‘litter’.

Answer 5

Biomass - mass of living (organic) material
Litter - dead organic material

Question 6

6. In a food chain why is so much energy lost at each level of the chain?

Answer 6

Energy is lost through
Heat
breathing/movement
excretion
waste

Question 7

7. Describe the distribution of the tropical rainforest biome.

Answer 7

ound in a band around Earth between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Major areas of rainforest are found in the northern part of South America (Amazon), western parts of central Africa (Congo) and in South East Asia

Question 8

8. What are the characteristics of the tropical rainforest biome

Answer 8

Hot all year round (25-30oC). High levels of rainfall all year (over 2500mm per year).
Huge variety of different species (high biodiversity). Forest has different layers. Trees form a dense canopy high above ground surface.

Question 9

What causes the extreme climate in the rainforest

Answer 9

Tropical regions receive high amounts of solar energy - the Sun is high in the sky and its rays are concentrated onto a small area of the land surface. The land absorbs solar energy and heats up. warming the atmosphere above.Hot air rises up through the atmosphere. It cools as it rises and water vapour condenses to form clouds which bring rain.

Question 10

10. Where are most nutrients stored in the tropical rainforest biome?

Answer 10

In the biomass

Question 11

11. Describe and explain the changes that will take place in the nutrient cycle and the water cycle when deforestation occurs in the tropical rainforest.

Answer 11

In the nutrient cycle he biomass store is greatly reduced as most of the vegetation is cut down. There may be a short-term increase in the size of the litter and soil stores as nutrients are added from dead vegetation as it decays. Over time

Question 12

12.Outline one way that tropical rainforests provide goods and one way that they provide a service.

Answer 12

Goods - the forest provides food for people (e.g. brazil nuts
Services - the forest acts as a carbon sink taking huge amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and locking it away in the biomass

Question 13

13. Describe two ways that tropical rainforests are being exploited by humans.

Answer 13

Trees are cut down for timber to make paper
Areas of forest are cleared to make way for farming.

Question 14

14. Explain how tropical rainforests have value as ‘natural capital’.

Answer 14

Rainforests are a valuable resource because they regulate climates act as a carbon sink
Its rainforests attract 2 million tourists per year.

Question 15

15. Explain the importance of Costa Rica’s ecosystems.

Answer 15

The country is 100x smaller than the Amazon but contains 6% of the world’s biodiversity.

Question 16

16. How is the government of Costa Rica protecting the country’s tropical rainforests?

Answer 16

Laws to stop deforestation and financial incentives to farmers to protect the forest.
28 nationalparks and nature reserves
24% of country is protected

Question 17

17. Describe two methods of sustainable management that are being used in Costa Rica’s rainforests.

Answer 17

Agroforestry - trees and crops grown alongside each other.
Afforestation - tree planting in areas where forest has been cleared

Question 18

18. Define the term ‘ecotourism’.

Answer 18

Travel that aims to conserve the natural environment and local communities

Question 19

19. Where is the Lapa Rios resort?

Answer 19

Osa Peninsula a
Pacific coast of Costa Rica

Question 20

20. Identify 3 characteristics of Lapa Rios that make it a good example of ecotourism.

Answer 20

Natural materials used in construction of buildings.
Natural ventilation rather than air con used to kep buildings cool
Pigs are fed food waste. Methane from their manure is used as fuel in the kitchens

Question 21

21. Explain how one of those characteristics contributes to sustainable management of the rainforest.

Answer 21

Expensive fossil fuels do not need to be transported to the resort. Carbon emissions are reduced. There is less food waste and the pigs provide meat for the kitchens.

Question 22

22. Why do polar regions have such extreme climates?

Answer 22

Winters are long and dark with up to 24hours darkness.Sun is low in the sky so energy is dispersed over a wide area making temperatures very cold
Snow and ice have a high albedo reflecting much solar energy and intensifying the cold temperatures..

Question 23

23. Distinguish between the Arctic and Antarctica.

Answer 23

The Arctic is in the northern hemisphere and is an ocean surrounded by land. Antarctica is a continent surrounded by an ocean in the southern hemisphere.

Question 24

24. Define these terms: ice sheet

Answer 24

Ice sheet - huge mass of ice that covers the land and move slowly downhill due to gravity
Ice shelf - floating mass of freshwater ice created when an ice sheet or glacier flows into the sea
Iceberg- smaller fragment of floating ice that has broken away from the ice shelf

Question 25

25. Identify and explain two features of flora that allow them to survive in polar environments.

Answer 25

Plants are low growing because of poor soils and to avoid strong winds. Small hairy leaves to insulate them and reduce moisture loss.

Question 26

26. What is permafrost?

Answer 26

Ground that is frozen throughout the year

Question 27

27. What is the active layer and how does it change with distance from the pole?

Answer 27

The upper layer of soil that thaws in the summer. Its depth increases with distance from the pole.

Question 28

28. How is the nutrient cycle different in the Arctic compared with the tropical rainforest?

Answer 28

Stores of nutrients are much smaller in the Arctic than in the rainforest. The largest store in the Arctic is the soil. Flows of nutrients are smaller and slower in the Arctic.

Question 29

29. In what ways have humans adapted their buildings to cope with Arctic conditions?

Answer 29

Buildings are on stilts to keep them above the cold ground and stop escaping heat from thawing the permafrost and causing subsidence Steep roofs stop snow gathering in thick layers and causing them to collapse..

Question 30

30. Outline the characteristic features of traditional human activities in the Arctic.

Answer 30

Most people lived on the coast so they could access the sea to catch food (fish

Question 31

31. What are the main human activities that take place in the Arctic in the 21st century?

Answer 31

Oil and gas extraction, tourism

Question 32

32. Describe the impacts of one modern human activity in the Arctic.

Answer 32

Tourism brings in people on cruise ships increasing the population of the area. Ships may spill waste causing pollution. Tourists may drop litter and disturb wildlife. More infrastructure is needed for the tourists increasing the area that is built on and the pressure on services such as water supplies and sewage treatment.

Question 33

33. Why was whaling in the 20th century unsustainable?

Answer 33

Whales were hunted and killed at a faster rate than they could reproduce.

Question 34

34. What steps have been taken by the international community to control commercial whaling?

Answer 34

1986 IWC ban on commercial whaling

Question 35

35. Where is Clyde River Marine Wildlife Area and why is it a good location for a wildlife sanctuary?

Answer 35

East coast of Baffin Island northern Canada.

Question 36

36. Why is Clyde River a good example of sustainable management on a local scale?

Answer 36

Protection of the area for whales means than other species such as polar bears and seals are also protected. The local Inuit community have permission to catch a small number of whales - this has minimal impact on overall numbers. The environment and ecosystems are conserved for future generations.

Question 37

37. What is the purpose of the Antarctic Treaty?

Answer 37

Protection of the Antarctic environment restrictions on human activities that can take place and collaboration in scientific research between countries.

Question 38

38. Which human activities are banned in Antarctica by the 1998 Environmental Protocol?

Answer 38

Mining, hunting

Question 40

39. How else does the Environmental Protocol help to protect the Antarctic environment?

Answer 40

Bans disturbance of wildlife. Restrictions on fishing. All activities have to be risk assessed for their impacts on the environment.

Question 41

40. Why is the Antarctic treaty a good example of sustainable management on a global scale?

Answer 41

Many countries are working towards a coom goal of protecting Antarctica and ensuring that the environment and wildlife are not harmed. It has worked successfully for many years and more countries want to join the treaty. Research in Antarctica has helped scientists to understand global issues such as global warming and the thinning of the ozone layer.