Biomes Flashcards
What is an ecosystem
A unit that includes all the biotic (living) parts and and the abiotic (non living) parts in an area
Example of biotic thing in ecosystem
Plants animals
Example of abiotic thing in ecosystem
Soil and climate
What is a producer
Organism that uses sunlight energy to produce food
What is a consumer
An organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms
What is a food chain and a food web
A food chain shows what eats what
A food web shows lots of food chains and how they overlap
What is a decomposer
With example
A organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead material eg bacteria
What happens when a dead martial is decomposed
Nutrients are released into the soil
They nutrients are then taken up from the soil by plants
The plants are eaten by consumers
The consumers die and return nutrients back to soil
Called nutrient cycling
What are the six main types of ecosystem in the world
Grassland Tundra Temperate deciduous forest Polar Tropical rainforest Hot desert
What are the two types of grassland
Savannah and temperate
What is savannah grassland like
Distinct dry and wet seasons
Mostly grass vegetation
Found between tropics
What is temperate grassland like
Found at higher latitudes
More variation in temperature
Less rainfall
No trees
What is tundra like
Found at high latitudes Very cold winters Short summer Little rainfall No trees Moss vegetation Layer of permafrost
What is temperate deciduous forest like
Four distinct seasons
Warm summers
Mild winters
Rainfall all year round
What is tropical rainforest like
Found around the equator
Hot and wet all year
Dense canopies of vegetation with distinct layers
What is the polar region like
Cold and dry
Remains dark for several month
Plants can only grow for 2 months each year
What is the hot desert region like
Found either side of equator
Hot during day and cold at night
Cactus and shrubs dispersed in sandy soil
What is the climate of tropical rainforests
Same all year round no seasons
Hot weather around 28 degrees high rainfall
What is the soil like in the rainforest
Isn’t fertile as rain washes nutrients away
Only little nutrients on surface
What are plants like in tropical rainforests
Most trees don’t drop leaves
Tall trees
Dense cover of vegetation
Very little light on floor
What are the animals like in tropical rainforests
Contain more animal species than any other ecosystem
Many are brightly coloured and make lots of noise
What are people like in the rainforest
Home to many tribes that make living by hunting and fishing
What does interdependence mean
All parts of the ecosystem are dependent on each other
What causes the animal population to be so high in TR
Dense vegetation as plants pass on nutrients
What does deforestation do to the ecosystem in a TR
Adds to greenhouse effect so changes climate
Trees take up water so risk of drought increases
How have plants adapted in TR
Tall trees have big roots to support trunks
Plants have drip tops to run off water
Climbing plants up trees to get sunlight
How are animals adapted for TR
Strong limbs do spend day climbing
Suction cups for climbing
Birds have short wings to fly between trees
Camouflages
Nocturnal to feed when it is cooler to save energy
Swim to cross river channels
How are TR stable and productive environments
It is hot and wet all year
Plants and animals don’t have to cope with changing conditions and there is always plenty to eat
What is deforestation likely to lead to
Extinction of many species and loss of biodiversity
What are the reasons of deforestation
Population pressure for new settlements
Mineral extraction
Energy development (build dams)
Commercial logging (build roads)
Commercial farming (cattle grazing and soya plantations)
Subsistence farming ( farmers can grow food for themselves and families)
What are the environmental impacts of deforestation
No trees to stabilise soil leads to landslides and flooding
More water reaches soil so less nutrients
Increases co2 in atmosphere
Economic impacts of deforestation
Creates jobs Makes lots of money Destroys resources the country depends on eg timber Reduces attractiveness for tourists Livelihoods is local people destroyed
How is the rate of deforestation changing
Rate is still very high however is slowing down
There are still hotspots where rate is increasing eg Borneo and Nigeria
Fact file of the amazon rainforest
Largest on earth
Covers 8million km ^2
Since 1978 over 1million km^2 of it has been destroyed
What were the main reasons of deforestation in the Amazon
Commercial (cattle ranching)
Small scale substinance farming for tribes
What were the environmental impacts of deforestation on the amazon rainforest
Releases 100 billion tonnes of carbon
Losing 55 million tonnes of topsoil because of soil erosion
What are the economic impacts of deforestation of the amazon rainforest
Farming makes lots of money for Brazil -$7 billion in 2008
Mining industry creates lots of jobs
Why is it important to protect TR
To preserve its biodiversity
Species in the Tr may have medicines that have yet been discovered
Ecotourism will be reduced
Rainforests help regulate the climate and water cycle
What is selective logging and how does does it manage the rainforest
Where only some older trees are felled
This is less damaging as the overall forests structure is kept
Allows it to regenerate
What is replanting and how does it manage the rainforest sustainabily
When new trees are planted to replace the ones that were chopped down
Mean that there will be trees in the future
What is ecotourism and how does it manage the rainforest
Tourism that minimises damage to the environment and benefits local people Only small number of visitors each time Litter is disposed of properly Provides income Trees aren’t cut down Been very successful in Costa rice
What are international hardwood agreements and what do they do
Hardwood is used to make furniture
High demand for mahogany in rich countries mean that poor countries sell it
Hardwood trees are becoming rarer
There are agreements in place to make this illegal
How does education help manage tropical rainforests
People know the impacts of deforestation and encourages them to buy products from sustainably manages sources
Some local people don’t understand the impacts of it
Educates people on alternative ways to make money
How does reducing debt allow sustainable management of rainforests
Often poor countries allow logging and farming of rainforests to make money to pay off debt
Reducing debt means countries don’t have to do this and rainforests can be conserved in the future
Eg 2008 the USA reduced Peru’s debt by $25 million in exchange for rainforest conservation
How does conservation sustainably manage rainforests
Places restrictions in areas of importance
Some countries set up funds for businesses to invest in and in exchange conserve the rainforest
What is the climate like in polar environments
Very cold Winters never above 10 degrees Lowest of -90 Low rainfall Clearly defined seasons
What is the climate like in tundra
Max 10 degrees
Low -50
Low rainfall ( more in summer)
What is the soil like in polar and tundra
Polar covered in ice sheets so no soil and few plants
Tundra soil is think acidic and not fertile
Normally layer of permafrost beneath soil that contains greenhouse gases
What are the plants like in polar and tundra
Very few in polar
Plants grow slowly and not very tall
What are the animals like in polar and tundra
Different species
Polar bears, penguins, whales, seals in polar
Lemmings, wolves, reindeer in tundra
What are the people like in polar and tundra
Polar are almost inhabited
Tundra is home to indigenous people and oil and gas workers
How are the tundra and polar regions interdependent
Nutrient cycle occurs
Melting ice caps has effect on whole ecosystem- leads to floods so habitats are ruined and plants can’t grow
How have plants adapted in the polar and tundra region
Plants don’t grow in winter
Plants are small to protect from wind
Leaves are small to limit moisture lost
How have animals adapted to tundra and polar
Have thick fur coat for insulation
Hibernate
Can survive on limited food
White coats to camouflage
Is the polar and tundra high in biodiversity or low
Low
What are the development opportunities in the Alaska tundra
Oil and gas- over half of Alaska’s income comes from this industry
Mineral resources eg the tintina gold belt
Fishing
Tourism
What are the three main challenges for development in Alaska
Extreme temperature
Inaccessibility
Buildings and infrastructure
How is extreme temperature in Alaska a challenge
Exposure to extreme cold can cause injury or death, which limits tourism, and healthcare is far away
How is inaccessibility a challenge for development in Alaska
It’s mountainous terrain makes it difficult to get around and it is expensive to do so
In winter the only way to get around is by air or on dangerous ice roads
In summer there is no roads as the ground is too muddy and soft
People in small towns may be a long way from employment opportunities
How is buildings and infrastructure a challenge for development in Alaska
Difficult to build buildings that can cope with ground and weather
Construction work can only take place in short summer
Why is the trans Alaska pipeline on stilts
So it doesn’t melt the permafrost making the ground unstable
Why are cold environments worth conserving
They provide habitats for organisms
Scientists can study wild plants and animals
They are natural ecosystems
They are the last remaining areas that haven’t been altered by human activity
How are cold environments fragile
Plant growth is slow so if they are damaged it is bad
Species are highly specialised so find it difficult to adapt to change
How does the use of technology help balance conservation with economic development in cold regions
Modern construction methods minimise environmental impacts eg elevating buildings on poles or building on gravel beds can prevent mending of permafrost
How can conservation groups help balance conservation with economic development in cold regions
They pressure governments to protect cold environments that we at risk or have been damaged
Eg WWF encourages sustainable management of cold environments
How does international agreements help balance conservation with economic development in cold regions
The 1959 Antarctic treaty limited 100 visitors at a time to go to Antarctica, meaning wildlife isn’t disrupted
How does the role of governments help balance conservation with economic development in cold regions
Unregulated development can damage the environment
Governments make laws to protect cold environments
Eg 1964 wilderness act the designated certain areas and protected them from development including large parts of Alaska
