Ecosystems

Question 1

What are the features of a tropical rainforest?

Answer 1

• High levels of precipitation
• High light availability
• High temperatures
• Low seasonality

Question 2

What is the importance of tropical rainforests?

Answer 2

• High biodiversity
• Carbon sequestration
• Prevents soil erosion
• Hydrological cycle

Question 3

What are the threats to tropical rainforests?

Answer 3

• Deforestation for urbanisation
• Deforestation for cattle farming
• Surface-level mineral extraction
• Global climate change

Question 4

How can tropical rainforests be conserved?

Answer 4

• Designations (e.g. Alto Maues Reserve, Brazil)
• Sustainable exploitation
• Reduce fossil fuel combustion
• Debt for Nature swaps (e.g. USA and Peru - US$20 million)

Question 5

What are the features of a tropical coral reef?

Answer 5

• High light availability
• Low turbidity (clear water)
• Constant salinity
• Symbiotic relationship between coral polyps and zooxanthellae

Question 6

What is the importance of tropical coral reefs?

Answer 6

• Carbon sequestration
• Prevents coastal erosion
• Ecosystem interdependency (mangrove forests and seagrass meadows)
• Useful as fisheries

Question 7

What are the threats to tropical coral reefs?

Answer 7

• Ocean acidification (reduces CaCO3 availability for coral formation)
• Agricultural runoff (eutrophication)
• Sedimentation
• Introduced species (e.g. COTS)

Question 8

How can tropical coral reefs be conserved?

Answer 8

• Designations (e.g. MCZ, MPA)
• Control of damaging activities (e.g. bottom trawling, dynamite fishing)

Question 9

What are the features of Antarctica?

Answer 9

• Low biodiversity on land
• High albedo (reflects insolation)
• Very low temperatures (-50°C)
• High levels of marine nutrients

Question 10

What is the importance of Antarctica?

Answer 10

• Reflects 95% of solar radiation
• Reduces global temperature extremes
• Controls ocean currents
• Large store of water (prevents sea level rise)

Question 11

What are the threats to Antarctica?

Answer 11

• Global climate change (melting sea ice)
• Ozone depletion
• Overfishing
• Future mineral exploitation

Question 12

How can Antarctica be conserved?

Answer 12

• Paris Agreement (2015)
• The Antarctic Treaty (1959)
• CCAMLR (1980)
• Designations (e.g. MPA)

Question 13

What are the features of a broadleaf woodland?

Answer 13

• Deciduous trees that shed leaves in winter
• Regular water supply
• Regular seasonality
• No temperature extremes

Question 14

What is the importance of broadleaf woodlands?

Answer 14

• High biodiversity
• Carbon sequestration
• Prevents soil erosion
• Hydrological cycle

Question 15

What are the threats to broadleaf woodlands?

Answer 15

• Deforestation for urbanisation
• Deforestation for agriculture
• Habitat fragmentation
• Introduced species

Question 16

How can broadleaf woodlands be conserved?

Answer 16

• Designations
• Traditional management (e.g. pollarding, coppicing)
• Legal protection of ancient woodlands (1600)
• Reduce fossil fuel combustion

Question 17

What are the features of a mangrove forest?

Answer 17

• High salinity
• Tropical climates
• Halophytic trees
• Low oxygen availability

Question 18

What is the importance of mangrove forests?

Answer 18

• Interdependent with tropical coral reefs and seagrass meadows
• Prevents coastal erosion
• Safe spawning and nursery site for many tropical fish species
• Traps suspended solids and prevents coral reef sedimentation

Question 19

What are the threats to mangrove forests?

Answer 19

• Clearance for urbanisation
• Clearance for aquaculture
• Pollution (e.g. oil spills)
• Coral reef destruction

Question 20

How can mangrove forests be conserved?

Answer 20

• Afforestation
• Community education programmes
• Designations
• Control of damaging activities (e.g. bottom trawling)

Question 21

What are the features of a deep-water coral reef?

Answer 21

• Up to 20,000 ft deep
• Slow coral growth (10x slower than tropical coral reefs)
• Temperatures below 0°C
• Low light availability

Question 22

What is the importance of deep-water coral reefs?

Answer 22

• Habitat for many shark species
• Habitat for 50% of global coral species
• Research opportunities
• Fisheries

Question 23

What are the threats to deep-water coral reefs?

Answer 23

• Destructive fishing practices (e.g. bottom trawling, dynamite fishing)
• Ocean acidification (coral bleaching)
• Oil and gas exploration

Question 24

How can deep-water coral reefs be conserved?

Answer 24

• Designations (e.g. MPA, SAC)
• Control of damaging activities (e.g. bottom trawling, dynamite fishing)

Question 25

What are the features of an oceanic island?

Answer 25

• High unusual biodiversity
• High proportion of EDGE and endemic species
• Isolated areas
• Few or no indigenous mammal predators

Question 26

What is the importance of oceanic islands?

Answer 26

• New medicines
• Biomimetics
• Physiological research

Question 27

What are the threats to oceanic islands?

Answer 27

• Sea-level rise
• Habitat change/destruction
• Introduced species
• Species exploitation

Question 28

How can oceanic islands be conserved?

Answer 28

• Designations
• Eradication of introduced species
• Control of developments and visitors
• Prevent unloading of ballast water