Carbon cycle EQ3

Question 1

human population growth and an increase in economic development have changed the ways people use land

Answer 1

• greater demand for resources eg food
• economic needs change - improving living standards

Question 2

positives of land use change

Answer 2

• absorbs carbon into its biomass and soils
• sustain habitat quality and biodiversity
• regulates water cycle locally and globally

Question 3

negatives of land use change

Answer 3

• deforestation emits carbon into atmosphere
• deforestation can lead to droughts and desertification
• deforestation can lead to more intense flooding

Question 4

the amazon

Answer 4

• 11000 sq km of rainforest destroyed from 2019-2022
• 3 million species and 1 million indigenous people
• brazils president encouraged agriculture and mining activities there

Question 5

deforestation impact on water cycle

Answer 5

• infiltration decreased
• runoff and erosion increased
• flood peaks higher and lag time shorter
• flooding

Question 6

deforestation impact on soil health

Answer 6

• CO2 released from decaying woody material
• biomass is lost

Question 7

deforestation impact on the atmosphere

Answer 7

• oxygen content reduced and transpiration rates lower
• reduced shading leads to more direct sunlight reaching the ground

Question 8

deforestation impact on the biosphere

Answer 8

• less absorbtion of CO2 means reduced carbon store
• biomass is lost from reduced photosynthesis

Question 9

benefits of natural grasslands

Answer 9

• acts as a carbon sink - absorbing CO2 and releasing O2 all year round (a ‘lung effect’)
• acts as a terrestral carbon store

Question 10

disadvantages of converting grasslands to grow biofuel crops

Answer 10

• initial removal of grass releases CO2 from soils
• anual ploughing releases CO2 from soil bacteria
• biofuel crops need carbon-based nitrogen fertiliser and chemical pesticides, so they produce a net increase in CO2 emissions
• the ‘lung effect’ is reduced

Question 11

BBC news: Carbon capture projects will support 2000 jobs

Answer 11

£22bn funding for ‘carbon capture clusters’ on Teesside and Merseyside over nect 25 years

Question 12

ecosystem

Answer 12

a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment eg a forest or a desert

Question 13

ecosystem services

Answer 13

a holistic term to describe the services that ecosystems provide such as soil formation, food provision, climate regulation and recreation facilities

Question 14

provisioning services definition, examples, coral reefs

Answer 14

d:products obtained from ecosystems

e:food, fuel, drugs, transportation, national defence

c:millions of people depends on reefs for the fishing industry

Question 15

regulating services definition, examples, coral reefs

Answer 15

d:benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes

e:regulating air quality, pollination, flood prevention, control of pests, climate regulation

c: reduce waver energy by 95%, protecting coastlines from erosion

Question 16

cultural services definition, examples, coral reefs

Answer 16

d: non-material benefits obtained from ecosystems

e: spiritual well-being, science, educational, recreation, heritage

c: provide evidence and education of where life began

Question 17

supporting services definition, examples, coral reefs

Answer 17

d: services necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services

e: soil formation, photosynthesis, water cycling, biological diversity, primary productivity

c: shelter 25% of marine species

Question 18

ocean acidification

Answer 18

the decrease in the pH of the earths oceans caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Question 19

ecosystem resilience

Answer 19

the level of disturbance that ecosystems can cope with while keeping their origional state