Sustaining Ecosystems Flashcards
(41 cards)
Define the term ‘ecosystem’
A community of plants and animals, and the environment in which they live
What are the biotic components of an ecosystem?
Plants (flora) and animals (fauna)
What are the abiotic components of an ecosystem?
Non-living parts of the ecosystem: climate, soil, rock, water, gases
Give two examples of links between biotic and abiotic components in an ecosystem
When plants die they decay and release nutrients into the soil
Plants take up water from the soil through their roots
In the context of the nutrient cycle, define the terms ‘biomass’ and ‘litter’
Biomass - mass of living (organic) material
Litter - dead organic material
In a food chain, why is so much energy lost at each level of the chain?
Energy is lost through
Heat
Functions such as breathing and movement
Excretion
Wastage (uneaten food)
Describe the distribution of the tropical rainforest biome
Found 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 Southeast Asia
What are the characteristics of the tropical rainforest biome (temperature, rainfall, plants, and animals)?
Hot all year round (25-30oC). High levels of rainfall all year (over 2500 mm per year).
Huge variety of different species (high biodiversity). The forest has different layers. Trees form a dense canopy high above the ground surface.
What causes the distinctive climate in the tropical rainforest biome?
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
Where are most nutrients stored in the tropical rainforest biome?
In the biomass
Describe and explain the changes that will take place in the nutrient cycle and the water cycle when deforestation occurs in the tropical rainforest
In the nutrient cycle, the 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, all stores will decrease in size.
In the water cycle, the climate will become drier and there will be less rainfall. The vegetation is the source of most of the water in the atmosphere, so when it is cut down most of that water is lost. To begin with there will be more water flowing into rivers and soaking into the soil, but over time there will be less water in all stores
Outline one way that tropical rainforests provide goods and one way that they provide a service
Goods - the forest provides food for people (e.g. brazil nuts, cocoa)
Services - the forest acts as a carbon sink, taking huge amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and locking it away in the biomass
Describe two ways that tropical rainforests are being exploited by humans
Trees are cut down for timber to make paper, building materials, furniture, etc.
Areas of forest are cleared to make way for farming
Explain how tropical rainforests have value as ‘natural capital’
Rainforests are a valuable resource because they regulate climates, act as a carbon sink, and provide a source of income from tourism. These benefits disappear if the forest is cut down
Explain the importance of Costa Rica’s ecosystems
The country is 100x smaller than the Amazon but contains 6% of the world’s biodiversity.
Its rainforests attract 2 million tourists per year.
The country, though small, contains a wide variety of different ecosystems
How is the government of Costa Rica protecting the country’s tropical rainforests?
Laws to stop deforestation and financial incentives to farmers to protect the forest.
28 national parks and nature reserves
24% of country is protected
Describe two methods of sustainable management that are being used in Costa Rica’s rainforests
Agroforestry - trees and crops grown alongside each other.
Afforestation - tree planting in areas where forest has been cleared
Define the term ‘ecotourism’
Travel that aims to conserve the natural environment and local communities
Where is the Lapa Rios resort?
Osa Peninsula, Pacific coast of Costa Rica
Identify 3 characteristics of Lapa Rios that make it a good example of ecotourism
Natural materials used in construction of buildings.
Natural ventilation rather than air con used to keep buildings cool
Pigs are fed food waste. Methane from their manure is used as fuel in the kitchens
Explain how one of those characteristics contributes to sustainable management of the rainforest (Lapa Rios Resort)
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 kitchen
Why do polar regions have such extreme climates?
Winters are long and dark with up to 24 hours 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.
Conditions are very dry due to cold, sinking air
Distinguish between the Arctic and Antarctica
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
Define these terms: ice sheet, ice shelf, iceberg, sea ice
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
Sea ice - thin layer of floating frozen sea water
