B7 ecology Flashcards
what are peat bogs?
areas where the soil is acidic and water-logged
uses of peat bogs
cheap plant compost
burn to be used as a fuel
what does the destruction of peat bogs do
reduces biodiversity
increases CO2 release in the atmosphere
what do humans use the land for
farms
quarries
landfills
buildings
effect of humans on land
less land is available for plants and animals
what do peat bogs contain
large amounts of dead plant material
lots of trapped carbon as decay is very slow
why is decay slow in peat bogs?
acidic soil; microorganisms that help with decay cannot survive
waterlogged; not enough oxygen for aerobic respiration
3 main problems with deforestation
1)no trees=no photosynthesis=more CO2 in atmosphere=global warming
2)burning as a way to clear forests=release in CO2=smoke=suffocate animals/pollute towns= global warming
3) destroyed habitat reduces biodivercity= whole species can go extinct
problems with using peat bogs as compost
peats are drained=microorganisms come back and decompose plants CO2 that is trapped is released into the atmosphere
ways of increasing/maintaining biodiversity
breeding programs
planting a variety of crops
reduce the use of pesticides
community
the populations of different species living in a habitat
definition of abiotic factors
non-living factors of the environment, e.g temperature
biotic factors
living factors of the environment eg food
definition of an ecosystem
An ecosystem is the interaction of a community of living organisms
(biotic) with the non-living (abiotic) parts of their environment
definition of interdependence
Within a community, each species depends on other species for
food, shelter, pollination, seed dispersal
