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Geography P1 > Ecosystems > Flashcards

Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

-a community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment

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2
Q

What is a biome?

A

-an ecosystem on a global scale

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3
Q

How do sunlight hours affect the location of biomes?

A
  • the arctic has very little sunshine hours in winter
  • this makes it darker and colder leading to the formation of the tundra/boreal forest
  • sunshine hours vary more considerably the further from the equator you are
  • TRF gets 12 hours of sunlight a day all year
  • this is because it is located at the equator
  • this leads to a higher biodiversity
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4
Q

How does soil type affect the location of biomes?

A
  • differences lead to different vegetation in the same ecosystem
  • poor sandy soil in NW australia means grasses are shorter than in other areas of the tropical grassland
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5
Q

How does altitude affect the location of biomes?

A
  • leads to different plants growing in the same ecosystem
  • thr higher the altitude, the lower the tmep
  • at low altitudes lowland rainforests grow and at cloud level moist cloud forests occur
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6
Q

What is the biosphere?

A

Sphere made up of living organisms.

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7
Q

How does the biosphere provide food for people?

A

medicine

  • poppies make morphine
  • aloe vera treats burns
  • periwinkle treats leukemia

building materials

  • straw for roofs and insulation
  • timber
  • animal dung for bricks

food

  • fruits and berries
  • wheat and rice
  • fish and meat

fuel

  • biofuels
  • animal dung
  • wood
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8
Q

How has overfishing impacted marine ecosystems?

A
  • 6400 boats and 12,000 people working on them
  • 14,000 people working for fish processing
  • baby fish aren’t growing to be adult fish, which reduces the average size of a cod long term
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9
Q

How is agriculture affecting marine ecosystems?

A

-fertilisers used by farmers can lead to eutrophication from chemicals reaching the sea

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10
Q

How is tourism affecting marine ecosystems?

A
  • 250 million people visit UK’s coastline each year
  • supports 200,000 jobs
  • 3 billion for the economy
  • there is overcrowding, and littering which damages the environment
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11
Q

How do wind farms affect the marine ecosystems?

A
  • the london array has 175 wind turbines
  • birds get killed
  • affects biodiversity
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12
Q

Why is there a large biomass in the TRF?

A
  • due to high biodiversity

- which occurs due to the forest having really good growing conditions all year

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13
Q

Why is the litter and the soil store in the TRF small?

A
  • nutrients are washed away due to high levels of rain
  • litter;surface run off
  • soil;leaching
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14
Q

Why are there large amounts of decomposition in the TRF?

A

-hot and humid conditions means dead veg decompose faster

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15
Q

Why is there a large amount of uptake in the TRF?

A

-large biomass

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16
Q

Why is the biomass small in the desert?

A
  • harsh growing conditions

- low biodiversity

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17
Q

why is the soil store so big in the desert

A
  • low levels of precipitation

- minimal leaching

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18
Q

Why is the litter store small in the desert?

A

-due to a small biomass

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19
Q

What is the nutrient cycle?

A

-describes how nutrients are transferred around an ecosystem

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20
Q

Why do TRFs have a large biodiversity?

A
  • oldest ecosystem so species have been evolving for a long time
  • layered structure so there is many wildlife habitats
  • long hours of sunlight and warm- excellent conditions for photosynthesis
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21
Q

ground layer of TRF

A
  • 0m
  • soil is very infertile
  • very damp and dark
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22
Q

Shrub layer of the TRF

A

0m-10m

  • very little light
  • smaller plants and shrubs
  • insects
  • large mammals such as jaguars
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23
Q

Sub-canopy of the TRF

A
  • 10 to 20 metres
  • shorter and younger trees
  • shielded from heavy rain
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24
Q

Canopy of the TRF

A
  • 20 to 30 metres
  • continuous thick layer of trees
  • very bright
  • rapid growth
  • most biodiverse layer
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25
Q

Emergent layer of the TRF

A

30 metres and above

  • tallest trees
  • birds and bats and butterflies
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26
Q

Describe how buttress roots are adapted to the tropical rainforest

A
  • they are wide
  • provide stability especially during storms
  • grow outwards to absorb nutrients from top layer of soil
27
Q

How are drip tips adapted to the TRF?

A
  • they are pointed
  • allows water to fall off it
  • so it doesn’t break due to the weight of the water
28
Q

How are lianas adapted to the TRF

A

-climbing plants use trees to get to the canopy where there’s lots of sunlight

29
Q

How is the strangler fig adapted to the TRF?

A
  • parasitic plant

- lives off of their host plant by removing nutrients from it

30
Q

How are fan palms adapted to the TRF?

A

-very large leaves to absorb as much sunlight as possible for photosynthesis

31
Q

How is the toucan adapted to the tropical rainforest?

A
  • long bill
  • reaches fruit from weak branches
  • beak is full of blood vessels which helps regulate the bird body temperature
32
Q

How is the sloth adapted to the TRF?

A
  • the fur of the sloth grows away from its body so rain can drip off keeping the sloth dry
  • sloth allows algae to grow for camouflage
33
Q

How is the harpy eagle adapted to the TRF?

A
  • strong legs and claws
  • to catch prey from trees whilst still in flight
  • increases chances of success and improves safety
34
Q

How is the hummingbird adapted to the TRF?

A
  • modified wings
  • wings fly in a figure of eight motion allowing i to hover
  • can collect nectar from the flowers without landing
35
Q

List three good provided by the TRF?

A
  • biodiversity would reduce if not maintained which means we would lose the cures to many diseases
  • black pepper, coffee, bananas
  • mahogany
36
Q

list three services provided by the tropical rainforest

A
  • oxygen
  • plants store C02
  • canopy stops the soil from being eroded by rain- prevents flooding
  • white water rafting
37
Q

What is climate change, structure, and function and biodiversity?

A
  • a change in weather patterns and average temperatures
  • stores and layers of the rainforest
  • how the ecosystem works
  • number of species and animals in an area
38
Q

How is the structure of the rainforest affected by climate change?

A
  • the change in condtitions means that there would be less nutrients available
  • canopy might start to reduce in density
  • layers of the rainforest would be affected negatively overall
39
Q

How is the function of the rainforest affected by climate change?

A
  • trees will drop their leaves if the temp drops/if there’s less rainfall
  • this is to avoid water loss through transpiration
40
Q

How is the biodiversity of the rainforest affected by climate change?

A
  • as conditions get drier and warmer, other plant species suited to the new conditions will compete with the species in the TRF
  • may include the spread of pests and diseases that the TRF is not immune to
41
Q

Why does deforestation occur in the tropical rainforest due to agriculture?

A
  • economic cause
  • large areas are cleared to make space for farms
  • this leads to loss of habitats and reduces biodiversity
  • fertilisers may impact rainforest animals and plants
  • this is caused by population growth consumers eating more
42
Q

Why does deforestation occur in the rainforest due to mining?

A
  • transporting of resources means roads are built and large areas are cleared which could kill animals
  • reduces biodiversity
43
Q

Why does deforestation occur in the tropical rainforest due to logging?

A
  • construction goods, furniture are in high demand
  • pays well
  • lots of corruption so police will look the other way
44
Q

Why does deforestation occur in the TRF due to population pressure?

A
  • trees are cleared for more space and housing

- this is due to rural-urban migration and higher paying jobs

45
Q

What is governance?

A

-policies put in place by the government

46
Q

What is governance?

A

-policies put in place by the government

47
Q

What has the government in Costa Rica done to protect the rainforest?

A
  • $50 per hectre a year is given to landowners to protect the rainforest
  • could encourage landowners to not cut down the trees protecting habitats
  • however landowners would make more money cutting down trees and selling them
  • cerificate for sustainable management
  • allows consumers to to purchase sustainable products and could attract investment
  • not well known
48
Q

How have carbon credits protected the rainforest in Costa Rica?

A
  • each country is given a certain number, 1 credit is 1 tonne of CO2
  • Costa Rica has credits left over because of their rainforest so they are able to sell them
  • this generates §20million for healthcare and education
  • deforestation is also restricted because they would lose carbon credits
  • however, countries are able to exceed their carbon limit, contributing to climate change
49
Q

How has ecotourism protected the rainforest in Costa Rica?

A
  • e.g. Lapa Rios Eco Lodge
  • when tourist facilities are provided without damaging the rainforest
  • solar panels are used to generate electricity
  • builings are made from local materials
  • targeted at young backpackers, reducing the amount made by tourism
  • limited jobs, not everyone will benefit
50
Q

Why does the ground layer of the deciduous woodland have fertile soil?

A
  • due to trees losing their leaves each year which adds nutrients to the soil
  • the trees have deep roots to absorb nutrients within soil and to provide stability
51
Q

Herb layer of deciduous woodland?

A
  • small plants such as ferns
  • flowers early before there are leaves on the trees in the summer
  • this allows the flowers to absirb maximum sunlight
52
Q

decribe the sub canopy layer of the deciduous woodland

A

-small trees and large bushes

53
Q

Describe the canopy layer of the deciduous woodland

A

-trees in the canopy lose their leaves in autumn to cope with reductions in sunlight and lower temperatures

54
Q

describe the nutrient cycle in the temperate forest/deciduous woodland

A
  • the biomass is small because the conditions are less favourable and sunlight reduces in the winter
  • larger litter store because the trees lose their leaves in autumn and there is less surface run off
  • larger soil store due to less leaching caused by less rain
55
Q

how is a hedgehog adoated to the deciduous woodland

A
  • hibernates from nov to apr

- their bodies need less energy when there is less food

56
Q

How is the squirrel adapted to the deciduous woodland?

A
  • the hide food in the ground and trees

- this means they have food for the winter months

57
Q

How is the nightingale adapted to the deciduous woodland?

A
  • they migrate to africa from sept to apr

- the avoid the cold months where there is no food

58
Q

How is the oak tree adapted to the deciduous woodland?

A
  • they’re strong and can stretch their branches horizontally
  • this means the leaves can access more sunlight
  • the leaves are broad and soft
  • collect sunlight
  • leaves die and fall off in the autumn
  • this means that the tree can conserve water and energy during winter
  • the leaves and acorns have lots of the acid tannin
  • tannin has a bitter taste which stops some animals from eating the acorns
  • oak trees have enormous root systems
  • the roots absorb nutrients and stabilise the trees during storms
59
Q

list three goods provided by the deciduous woodland

A
  • timber for furniture making, construction, fuel
  • biomass for domestic heating
  • forest moss is used by florists
60
Q

List three services provided by the deciduous woodland

A
  • health benefits as most visitors take part in cycling, jogging, walking and horse riding
  • venues for oragnised activities such as paint balling
  • captures 1 million tonnes of CO2 per year from the atmosphere
61
Q

how does climate change affect the structure of the deciduous woodland

A

-rising temperatures and drier conditions could increase the risk of forest fires harming plants and animals within each layer

62
Q

how does climate change affect the function of the deciduous woodland

A
  • rising temps mean the adaptations plants and animals have will be ineffective
  • for example, seed germination is triggered by cold temperatures so seeds will not grow
63
Q

How does climate change affect the biodiversity of the deciduous woodland?

A
  • pests and diseases that do not survive in the cold winters can spread if winters become milder
  • this would affect the number of plants and animals in an area
64
Q

list three strategies used to prevent New Forest and state advantages and disadvanatges

A

replacing conifers with deciduous woodland
advantages- forest is prettier which attracts more tourists, herb layer will benefit and the biodiversity improves
disadvantages- more visitors means more litter, affect the profits of foresters

builing car parks
advantages-limits the number of poeple parking on grass verges, the car parks are hidden using trees so it looks more natural
disadvantages- more cars means more congestin so this means more injuries to horses, trees are removed for space

visitor leaflet
advantages- raises awareness, prevents visitors damaging the environment
disadvantages- cretaes a litter issue, visitors could ignore the advice

Geography P1 (4 decks)

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