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Ecosystems > Ecosystem Issues On A Local Scale > Flashcards

Ecosystem Issues On A Local Scale Flashcards

1
Q

Definition of urbanisation

A
  • the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas

- has occurred over the last 200 years

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2
Q

What are the types of urban land use

A
  • secondary succession/ derelict/ plagioclimax
  • industrial sites
  • transport routes
  • residential gardens and allotments
  • parks and open green space
  • landfill sites
  • lakes and reservoirs
  • pockets or urban woodland (pine woods- Harrogate)
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3
Q

How are urban ecosystems different

A
  • a hybrid of natural and am made elements whose interactions are effected by both natural environments and humans (culture, politics…)
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4
Q

Specific differences between rural and urban areas

A
  • atmosphere pollution: 10-25 times more (U)
  • mean air temperature: 0.5-1.5 higher (U)
  • total rainfall: 5-10% more in urban
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5
Q

What is a niche

A
  • a term for the position of a species within an ecosystem
  • describing both the range of conditions necessary for the species to continue and the ecological role in the ecosystem
  • part of the ecosystem the plant or animal occupies
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6
Q

What is a micro- habitat

A
  • within a town or city
  • provides a specialist environment within a certain species of plant which can thrive
  • moss taking root and growing on high ledges
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7
Q

How are cities dynamic areas

A
  • constantly evolving
  • British cities- de industrialisation is occurring resulting in significant wasteland
  • London Docklands
  • transformation of the land favours organisms that are more able to rapidly colonise and are better adapted
  • results in urbanising ares often having a combination of people and organisms
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8
Q

Examples of colonisation of Wasteland

A
  • horizontal bare Tarmac
  • vertical brick walls
  • piles of rubble
  • wall tops
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9
Q

Why are the species varied when it comes to places such as old industrial sites

A
  • different types of surfaces such as Tarmac, concrete

- some sites will be acid or alkaline

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10
Q

What happens on a succession of an urban wasteland

A
  • human disruption is constantly creating habitats
  • plants and animals will re-colonise these areas and create new ecosystems
  • colonising species will have an impact on the environment and will change it and develop it
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11
Q

What type of succession is it when it occurs on a wasteland

A
  • bare habitat: primary
  • disturbance not resulting in loss of soil: secondary
  • possible for both primary and secondary
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12
Q

First stage of succession on an urban wasteland

A
  • colonisation
  • pioneers colonise the area
  • certain hardy species such as lichens and moss
  • producers and make own food and when they die create a simple soil to develop succession
  • can survive without soil
  • example: twisted moss
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13
Q

Second stage of succession in an urban wasteland

A
  • establishment
  • pioneer species begin to have an impact
  • food is presented for consumers and decomposers which have now arrived
  • soil begins to form from the dead remains
  • keeps improving
  • example: nettles, rosebay willow herb
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14
Q

Third stage of succession in an urban wasteland

A
  • competition
  • taller plants such as ferns begin to move in making more competition for the existing plants
  • everything is still improving: soil and water intake
  • example: Japanese knotweed
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15
Q

Forth stage of succession in an urban wasteland

A
  • stabilisation
  • shrubs and trees arrive
  • everything still improving
  • need more soil so the pioneers from the beginning begin to die out
  • example: brambles, birth and sycamore
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16
Q

Fifth stage of succession in a urban wasteland

A
  • climatic climax
  • left for long enough it can develop
  • not many of these around the world as humans are cutting them down
  • long time to develop
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17
Q

Examples of places in the uk where succession has been encourage and managed by people

A
  • nature reserve (rossett acre nature reserve, Harrogate)

- London wildlife trust- Gunnersbury triangle

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18
Q

What is an route way ecology

A
  • includes railways and dual carriage ways where there are few pedestrians
  • distinctive habitat as exotic species can be brought by road traffic and trains.
  • can provide wildlife corridors
19
Q

Describe the railway line rout way ecology

A
  • enable animals to move around the city with little or no interference from traffic
  • during the days: trains which burn off any taller species allowing light demanding species to get as much light as they need
  • example: primroses and foxgloves
  • wind borne seeds are sucked along by the trains and scattered along the edges
  • example: Oxford ragwort
  • lack of human disturbance allows foxes and badgers to exist and make a home
20
Q

Describe road traffic acts in a route ah ecology

A
  • acts in the same way in regards for animals and insects
  • roads provide food for kestrels: roadkill
  • nitrogen-rich fumes boost growth of some wild flowers
  • embankments are well managed
  • planned planting of trees and shrubs to act as noise screens
  • grass is mown regularly- reduce number of fauna and flora
21
Q

How does the soil come about on a Motorway

A
  • excavated from the bed and pulled up at the sides forming banks
  • sound deflectors
  • barrier for any vehicle that leaves the motorway
22
Q

The geology of a motorway ecology

A
  • geology affects the size, shape and gradient of the boarding verges
  • influenced by hardiness of rock structure
  • chalk/limestone/granite are hardy so can form stable and hardy gradients
23
Q

What happened to the motorway verges during the construction

A
  • soil verges were prepared to make a good seedbed prior to seeding
  • herbaceous plants and trees/shrubs were planted
  • DEFRA chose suitable laces for these plants to be planted
  • most common tress were maple, sycamore and silver birch
24
Q

What happened after initial planting at the rout way verges

A
  • community started to be penetrated by other plants species
  • rate and extent of the invasion depended on nature and terrain
  • grassland sites and woods beside a country’s major road now harbour 60 sites of species
  • examples: green winged orchid and the yellow rattle
25
Q

Two examples of plants which were an unplanned introduction to the uk

A
  • Japanese knotweed

- Oxford ragwort

26
Q

Description of Oxford ragwort

A
  • yellow flowered herbaceous plant
  • native to mountains
  • was bought to the Oxford botanical gardens
  • escaped into the wild-
  • grew in Oxford colleges and stonewalls
  • gone all the way to railway lines where it now stays
27
Q

Description of Japanese knotweed also the problems it has

A 
- invasive 
A spreads very easily 
- plant that is not to be planted or otherwise introduced in the wild 
- damage to pavements and Tarmac areas 
- reduction of biodiversity 
- restriction of access to river banks 
- unsightly 
- cost of treatment- nationally would be £1.5 billion
28
Q

Example and description of planned introduction

A
  • London plane tree
  • provide green corridors and used to line roads
  • more present environment
  • resilient and cope Well
  • resistent to pollution
  • large growing
29
Q

Problems of the London plane tree

A
  • the leaves need to be cleared up u
    In Autumn as they create a slip hazard
  • some have been killed by a fungus brought over by USA
  • some evidence that the leaves can create respiration problems
30
Q

What is the rural urban fringe

A
  • the transition area immediate surrounding towns or cities

- in demand for a variety of land uses

31
Q

What are the variety of land uses in the rural urban fringe

A
  • potential space for new housing
  • transport
  • parks
  • waste disposal
32
Q

What are the different small ecological niches in urban and rural,areas

A

Rural:

  • small woods
  • nature reserves
  • housing with gardens

Urban:

  • new gardens
  • allotments
  • roadside and railway verges
33
Q

How are urban areas defined by planning laws

A
  • green belt legislation
  • ## difficult to obtain planning permission beyond a certain line
34
Q

Negative influences of the rural/urban fringe

A
  • risk from urban blight (land near the city starts to deteriorate)
  • vandalism
  • diversification away from farming- pain balling for tourism
  • pressure from walkers
  • pollution from traffic, housing and litter
  • farmers not investing in improving their land- leading to farmland decline
35
Q

Positives influences of the rural/urban fringe

A
  • include distinctive landscapes such as river valleys and areas rich in biodiversity
  • all of value to the community and contribute to quality of life
  • governments policies are in favour of sustainable development
  • planting woodland to improve local landscape
  • introduction of country parks - unmanaged and harbour many natural plant communities
36
Q

Opportunities from the rural urban fringe

A
  • huge demand for recreation
  • 300 country parks absorb 70 million visits per year
  • can be improved so they contribute to the wider rural urban fringe
  • people on the edges of urban areas can contribute and fell part of a community once again
37
Q

Challenges of the rural urban fringe with the opportunities

A
  • agriculture has to deal with all the problems facing agriculture including crime and fly-tipping
  • high levels of urban deprivation can be found on the urban edge
38
Q

What are wildlife corridors

A
  • many ways of linking wildlife habitats allowing them to move between other isolated areas
  • help to replenish isolated populations
  • provide shelter, protection and food

British isle: many are surrounded by greet belt land which is protected by law from development

39
Q

Garden creation on the rural urban fringe

Paved areas and lawns

A
  • paved areas: ecosystem is deliberate destroyed, potential flooding problems because of the rapid runoff
  • lawns: well kept, free from weeds and treated with chemicals- limiting development of plants and animals
40
Q

Wildlife gardens what are they

A
  • gardens with a large number of exotic plant species
  • planting patterns are to encourage species and insects such as butterflies
  • ponds managed to attract further variations of species: frogs
  • areas are designed for hedgehogs to hibernate
  • birds to nest and feed
  • chemical use is kept to a minimum
41
Q

What is a ecological conservation area

A
  • differ from abandoned land as succession has been deliberately influenced by Hamas
42
Q

Why are ecological areas developed

A
  • giving a dull Iran landscape more colour
  • school may produce it in the name of education
  • birdwatchers may wish for a diverse environment to attract different birds
  • act as noise inhibitors
43
Q

What are the management areas of the conservation areas

A
  • reduction in acidity
  • deliberate clearing of areas to create a variety of habitats
  • mowing only once a year after meadow flowers have developed
44
Q

What is the formal and informal work done in such areas (cmservarion)

A
  • planting of trees
  • soil improvements
  • groups involved could be local authorities, national government

Ecosystems (5 decks)

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