Ecosystems Flashcards
Abiotic
Relating to nonliving things
Biotic
Relating to living things
Consumer
Creature that eats herbivores and/or plant matter
Nutrient cycling
A set of processes whereby organisms extract minerals necessary for growth from soil water
Decomposer
An organism such as a bacterium or fungus which is then recycled to the environment
Global ecosystem
Very large ecological areas on the Earth surface (or biomes)
Fauna
Animals
Flora
Plants
Producer
An organism or plant that is able to absorb energy from the Sun through photosynthesis
Ecosystem characteristics
-take hundreds of years to develop
-need to be in balance, if there is a change to one of the components, it may well affect the rest of the ecosystem
Causes of change in the ecoystem
-Global scale changes, such as climate change
-local scale change such as changes to a habitat
-for example when a hedge is removed
Natural changes in the ecosystem
-Extreme weather events like a drought can be devastating to ponds and lakes
-plants will dry out and die
-Fish starved of oxygen might not survive
Human changes in the ecosystem
-agricultural fertilisers can lead to eutrophication
-ponds may be drained to use for farming
Ecosystems of ecosystems:Local ecosystem
A pond, hedge or woodland
Different types of ecosystems: Global ecosystem
A tropical rainforest or deciduous forest. The global ecosystems are called biomes
Types of biomes
-tundra
-temperate forest
-tropical rainforest
Biodiversity
The variety of life in the world or a particular habitat
Commercial farming
Farming to sell produce for a profit to retailers or food processing companies
Debt reduction
Countries are relieved of some of the debt in return for protecting the rainforests
Deforestation
The chopping down and removal of trees to clear an area of forest
Ecotourism
Responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment, sustained the well-being of the local people yet keeps impact on the local ecosystem minimal
Logging
The business of cutting down trees and transporting the logs to sawmill
Mineral extraction
The removal of solid mineral resources from the Earth which contain valuable amounts of metal
Selective logging
The cutting out of trees which are mature or inferior to encourage the growth of the remaining trees in a forest of wood
Soil erosion
Removal of topsoil faster than it can be replaced
Subsistence farming
A type of agriculture producing food and materials for the benefit only of the farmer and his family
Sustainability
Actions and forms of progress that meets needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs
Location of tropical rainforests
These lie along the equator in Asia, Africa and South America
Characteristics of the tropical rainforest
cliamate:
-High rainfall and high temperatures throughout the year
vegitation:
-dense vegetation cover
soil:
-isn’t very fertile as heavy rain washes nutrients away
animals:
-rainforests have more species than any other ecosystem
people:
-Home to many people, who have adapted to life over many generations
Deforestation case study-Malaysia
The rate of deforestation in Malaysia is increasing faster than any tropical country in the world
Causes:
-logging-Malaysia became the worlds largest exporter of tropical wood in the 1980s
-Energy development-Bakun dam generates electricity, at the reservoir flooded 700 km² of forests
Sustainable management in rainforests
-selective logging and re-planting
-conservation and education
-ecotourism
-International agreements-hardwood forestry and debt reduction
