Ecosystem Issues on a local scale:impact of human activity

Question 1

What is positive about urban land uses for ecosystems

Answer 1

There’s a variety of potential ecological habitats for plants and animals, opportunities for secondary plant succession eg where land is derelict. Other places more permanent plagioclimax may exist

Question 2

What is a niche

Answer 2

The part of an ecosystem that a plant or animal occupies; a small scale area or micro habitat providing a specialised environment within which a certain species of plant can develop eg mosses on high walls and ledges

Question 3

Stages of Succession in an urban wasteland

Answer 3

• Pioneer community forms
• changes occur in habitat
• vascular plants (ferns,seed plants) colonise
• shrubs and trees arrive
• a climax community forms

Question 4

Describe succession in an urban wasteland

Answer 4

• Algae,lichen mosses colonise( producers) can survive with no soil.rainwater through body surface
• pioneer species impact the site, food present for consumer,decomposer,soil forms. Remains of plants broken down -decomposers.water held
• vascular plants eg fern colonise , change habitat further, pioneers disappear.
• shrubs and trees -need more soil
• climax community forms - stable eg tropical rain forest

Question 5

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

Answer 5

Areas protected as nature reserves eg London wildlife trust

• Gunnersbury triangle
• the ripple amid industrial landscape of barking reach

Question 6

What do route ways include

Answer 6

Verges of railways and duel carriageway roads. They provide distinctive habitats species brought in by road traffic and trains

Question 7

Examples of rout way ecologies

Answer 7

Canals - act Like ponds
Railway lines-
Road traffic

Question 8

Describe railway line route way ecology

Answer 8

Enable animals to move round city with little interference from traffic. Light demanding species eg primrose dominate .wind borne seeds sucked by trains eg Oxford ragwort. Spiders move in same way. Foxes and badgers exist due to lack of human disturbance - fencing

Question 9

Road traffic route way ecology

Answer 9

Animals and species spread by wind borne seeds, blowing down track eg spiders. Roads provide food for kestrels and scavenging birds(magpie). Nitrogen rich fumes boost growth of wildflowers and increase animals and plants furthur up food chain

Question 10

Negative/evaluation of route way ecologies on road traffic

Answer 10

Embankments and cuttings well managed. Planned planting of trees shrubs to act as noise screens. Grass mown regularly so reduce number of flora and fauna

Question 11

Unplanned introduction of a new species example

Answer 11

Oxford ragwort- native to mountains, rocky or volcanic areas. Introduced from Sicily. Escaped into wild around 1720. It spread via the railway found home in man made natural piles of rock, grew on stone walls around Oxford

Question 12

Another example of unplanned introduction of a species

Answer 12

Japanese knotweed . Was deliberately introduced in urban areas but migrated into places not wanted so is invasive. Spreads easily by rhizomes and cut stems or crowns

Question 13

Problems caused by Japanese knotweed

Answer 13

• Damage to paving and Tarmac areas
• Damage to archeological sites
• Reduction of biodiversity by out shading native vegetation
• Restriction of access to river banks
• increased flood risk (damages flood defences)
• increased erosion when bare ground exposed in winter
• reduced visibility and access on roads and paths
• reduction in land values

Question 14

Example of planned introduction of a species

Answer 14

The London plane tree widely planted in London in 18/19th century in urban development. Provide green cooridoors and used to line roads to create more pleasant living environment for city dwellers. Suited to urban environments and provides shade and is appealing. Resistant to pollution

Question 15

Problems of London plane tree

Answer 15

• Decidious leaves need to be cleared in Autumn or slip hazard
• Some tress killed by a fungus brought over by USA
• Some evidence that airborne trachiomes from back of leave may be causing respiratory symptoms on some people like hayfever

Question 16

What is the rural urban fringe

Answer 16

The transition area surrounding towns and cities

Question 17

What land uses Is the rural urban fringe In demand of

Answer 17

• space for developing new houses, businesses, development parks
• transport including roads and airports
• recreation parks,sports stadia, golf courses
• waste disposal including landfill sites and sewage works
• agricultural land

Question 18

What does Greenbelt legislation do ( edge of urban area)

Answer 18

Makes it difficult to obtain planning permission to build beyond a certain line

Question 19

What is urban blight

Answer 19

Where land near to a city starts to deteriorate and is less well farmed can be due to

• vandalism
• pressure of tourists and leisure demands (diversification) paintballing
• tourism and leisure more difficult for farming
• pollution from traffic,housing,litter

Question 20

What happens to unattended land in rural urban fringe

Answer 20

Becomes overgrown by weeds and brambles as secondary succession occurs which may lead to an increase in biodiversity

Question 21

Positive influences on the rural urban fringe

Answer 21

Includes some special assets including distinctive landscape eg river valley and areas rich in biodiversity, listed buildings and reservoirs and canals. All of value to community and contribute to the quality of life. Government policy In favour or sustainable development eg by planting woodland. Country parks introduced - unmanaged and harbour natural plant communities. Provide breeding sites for birds eg skylark, lapwing

Question 22

Opportunities and challenges in the rural urban fringe

Answer 22

• Huge demand for recreation in the rural urban fringe
• 267 country parks absorb 73 million visits per year
• Agriculture has to face problems eg crime, fly tipping,land fragmentation
• High levels of urban deprivation found on urban edge. Involving these communities in the management of the area around them offers community renewal, social inclusion and health benefits

Question 23

What are wildlife cooridoors

Answer 23

Main way of linking wildlife habitats, allowing species to move between otherwise isolated areas, corridor provides shelter, protection, food and breeding sites

Question 24

Examples of where there is a green coordioor

Answer 24

Milton Keynes built around a grid system of roads alongside grid of green corridors along rivers through parks and linked by roadside verges

Question 25

Example of a created green cooridoor in a city

Answer 25

Green belt around Newcastle upon Tyne taken out so development could occur, areas around development had to be landscaped these areas linked by streams which ran Into Ouseburn forms a green corridor

Question 26

Garden creation in the rural urban fringe involves

Answer 26

• Paved areas - ecosystem destroyed, rapid run off - flooding
• Lawns- monocultures chemicals limit number of plants and animal species there
• Gardens - large number of exotic plant species- these can escape into surround off environment
• Wildlife gardens planting patterns designed to encourage species of insects, butterfly,birds,small mammals. Chemical use minimum to encourage widest variety of species

Question 27

How do ecological conservation areas differ from abandoned land

Answer 27

Succession had been Influenced deliberately by humans

Question 28

Why are ecological conservation areas developed ?

Answer 28

• altruistic motives - give dull urban area colour
• Improving the visual outlook will hide eyesores
• schools may produce a diverse environment for study purposes
• groups eg birdwatchers diverse environment to attract new species
• act as noise and pollution inhibitors or reduce soil erosion
• encouraging wildlife back into cities
• cheap use of derelict areas
• reducing maintenance costs in an area

Question 29

Management techniques of conservation areas include

Answer 29

• reduction in acidity of old industrial and coal spill sites by addition of lime
• the deliberate clearing of areas to create a variety of habitats
• mowing only once a year after meadow wildflowers have flowered

Question 30

What forms of informal and formal work is done in conservation areas

Answer 30

Planting of trees or native species
Dredging of ponds
Soil improvements

Question 31

What groups and organisations are behind the work done in conservation areas

Answer 31

Local authorities 
National government 
Joint nature conservation Committee
Conservation volunteers 
The national trust 
Potential users of the site and local inhabitants

Question 32

What is the case study for local area ecological conservation area
It’s SMALL SCALE doesn’t need to be near harrogate

Answer 32

Greenwich peninsula ecology park

It’s (local) and small scale

Question 33

Location of Greenwich peninsula ecology park

Answer 33

In south east London the Greenwich peninsula

1km downstream south east of of o2 arena on south bank of river Thames

Question 34

Human characteristics of Greenwich peninsula ecology park

Answer 34

• created on a brownfield site on old steelworks site by English partnerships
• 4 1/2 acre urban wildlife park completed early 2000 opened to public by trust for urban ecology in Feb 2002
• lottery grant in 2008 - improving site - disabled and pushchair access, improving community involvement - family activity days, world with local schools
• bird hides , bat houses built to view wildlife
• wide range of volunteers work to maintain park - cut reeds, clearing blocked streams

Question 35

Physical characteristics of Greenwich peninsula ecology Park

Answer 35

• wetland environment with reed beds and inner ( only accessible at certain times) and outer lake
• mosaic of different habitats including shingle beach , wildflower meadow, marsh, willow woodland, alder woodland and small ponds and streams

Question 36

Ecological characteristics of Greenwich peninsula ecology park

Answer 36

Wide range of habitats encourages biodiversity
Species present include
- garden frogs, toads , com,on newts - specially created spawning pond
- kingfishers - there’s a nesting tunnel (encourage breeding)
- water birds eg coots and swans
- reed bed birds eg reed warblers
- dragonflies ,butterflies
- plant species eg buttercups, water lillies, water reeds

Question 37

Successes of Greenwich peninsula ecology park

Answer 37

• become a real haven for nature in south east London - positive social and economic impacts
• high biodiversity
• phytoremediation - roots of willow and other trees which are tolerant of pollutants take up the pollutants and bioaccumulate them ( stored in plants removed from soil)
• local people involved in care and maintenance of park

Question 38

Failures of Greenwich peninsula ecology park

Answer 38

• could probably do more to attract a wider cross section of society to make use of it although it does work with local schools. It would ensure future generations use and protect the local wildlife
• only very small area in a very large city so impact will always be small scale
• future funding ? Where from?