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Geography > Ecosystems > Flashcards

Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

What are buttress roots?

A

A tree root that grows above the forest floor to provide nutrients and support.

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2
Q

What are drip tips?

A

Plants have leaves with pointy tips (drip tips). This allows water to run off the leaves quickly without damaging or breaking the leaves.

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3
Q

What is a biome?

A

Biomes are areas of the planet with a similar climate and landscape, where similar animals and plants live

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4
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

A community of plants and animals, which interact with one another and the nonliving environment that surrounds them.

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5
Q

What does interdependence mean?

A

Organisms depend on each other for survival

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6
Q

Examples of interdependence in a rain forest

A
  1. Soils are thin and do not have many nutrients because of the heavy rainfall
  2. Tree roots hold the soil together and protect the soil from heavy rain.
  3. Soil stores nutrients, which help trees to grow.
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7
Q

What are indigenous people?

A

Indigenous people are native to a certain region or environment.

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8
Q

Name some social factors to make tourism sustainable

A
  1. Involve indigenous people, women and minority groups to ensure the equitable distribution of the benefits of tourism. 2. Respect the culture, the economy and the way of life, the environment and political structures in the destination area
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9
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

Biodiversity is a measure of the variety of living organisms within a particular habitat, ecosystem, biome, or all over Earth

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10
Q

Describe shifting cultivation

A

Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system where plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned while vegetation is allowed to freely grow while the cultivator moves on to another plot.

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11
Q

Why is shifting cultivation sustainable?

A

-It produces just enough food for survival without damaging the environment much

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12
Q

What are some plant adaptations in a polar environment?

A
  1. Plants grow close to the ground to avoid damage from strong winds and to take advantage of the warmer ground temperatures.
  2. Small leathery leaves that help to reduce water loss and protect from cold temperatures.
  3. Dark Pigmentation which absorbs more heat from the sun, helping to keep the plant warm.
  4. Shallow Root Systems which allows plants to access nutrients in the thin soil layer above the permafrost.
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13
Q

What are some animal adaptations in a polar environment?

A
  1. Thick Fur or Blubber which provides insulation against the cold temperatures.
  2. Light-Coloured Fur that camouflages animals against the snow and ice, aiding in hunting and protection from predators.
  3. Hibernation which allows animals to conserve energy and survive periods of extreme cold and food scarcity.
  4. Moving to warmer areas during the harshest winter months to access more food and favourable conditions. (seasonal migration)
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14
Q

What is a good?

A

physical products provided by the ecosystem that can be used by people

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15
Q

What is a service?

A

unique role, job that the ecosystem plays in it’s environment

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16
Q

List examples of a good from a rainforest

A

Fruits, palm oil, cocoa, bamboo

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17
Q

List an example of a service

A

Oxygen

18
Q

Name the 5 layers of a rainforest

A
  1. Emerging layer
  2. Canopy
  3. Under canopy
  4. Shrub layer
  5. Forest floor
19
Q

Write down key facts about the emerging layer

A

50m tall, layers below compete for sunlight

20
Q

Write down key facts about the canopy

A

70% sunlight 80% rainfall, 30m high trees

21
Q

Write down key facts about the under canopy

A

20m high trees

22
Q

Write down key facts about the shrub layer

A

5% sunlight, adapt to living without much sunlight

23
Q

Name the bottom layer of a rainforest

A

The forest floor

24
Q

Write adaptations for the plants in the shrub layer

A
  1. Many plants have thick, waxy leaves with pointed tips.
  2. The pointed tips (called drip tips) channel the water to a point so it runs off – that way, the weight of the water doesn’t damage the plant, and there’s no standing water for fungi and bacteria to grow in.
25
Q

Characteristics of a desert ecosystem

A

harsh climate, low biodiversity, thin soils, plants with long roots

26
Q

Why is the nutrient cycle in rain forest quick?

A
  1. nutrients are in high demand from the fast growing plants
  2. the forest floor conditions allow for quick decomposition of dead plant material
27
Q

Write 2 reasons why deforestation happens

A

1) To create housing for the growing population
2) To make room for palm trees to create palm oil

28
Q

What is the greatest risk to coral reefs?

A

Climate change

29
Q

How does climate change affect coral reefs?

A
  1. Sea level rise: may lead to increases in sedimentation for reefs located near land-based sources of sediment.
  2. Sedimentation runoff can lead to the smothering of coral.
30
Q

Name some environmental impacts of resource extraction in Arctic Polar regions

A
  1. Damaging animal habitats
  2. Building the pipeline might cause trees to be cut down
  3. Disruption of animal migration routes
  4. Damage to soil/ vegetation during construction
  5. The pipeline damages the aesthetic value of the landscape
  6. Leaking oil
31
Q

How is the climate and plants interdependent in a tropical rainforest?

A
  1. The trees need a lot of rain to grow
  2. The plants are dependant on the sunlight for photosynthesis
  3. The trees can have thin bark as there is no frost
  4. Drip-tips funnel heavy rain off the leaves so they are not
    damaged
  5. Glossy/ waxy leaves reduce the amount of rain on the
    leaves so that the plant can maximise photosynthesis
  6. Warm temperatures allow the fast breakdown of litter so the
    plants can grow
  7. The warm and wet climate means that plants grow quickly, with emergent growing tall to maximise photosynthesis
32
Q

Describe logging

A

-1/2 wood is used for fuel wood
-Logging is when the trees are chopped down to use the wood for things such as building materials or furniture

33
Q

What is bad about logging?

A

-regrowth is too slow
-leads to soil erosion and changes in the water cycle which affects the overall health of the ecosystem
-damages indigenous communities

34
Q

Describe agriculture (cattle ranching)

A

-supercow made that makes 60 children per cow
-Main market is USA
-Cattle ranching is the practice of raising and managing cattle for various purposes, including meat production (beef), dairy production, and the sale of cattle for breeding or other agricultural uses

35
Q

What is bad about cattle ranching?

A

-Leads to extensive deforestation as the land is cleared for grazing
-soil erosion happens due to large areas of exposed land

36
Q

What is soil erosion?

A

Soil erosion is when the top layer of soil is removed leading to loss of soil fertility and structure.

37
Q

Describe palm oil agriculture

A

-One of the most profitable cash crops for developing countries
-Before the plantation, the area has to be cleared of trees and slash+burn is used, where trees are burnt and cut down

38
Q

What is bad about palm oil plantation?

A

-habitat loss
-biodiversity loss
-displacement of many animals

39
Q

Describe Mineral extraction

A

-Mineral extraction in a rainforest involves the removal of valuable minerals
-Gold,copper,and diamonds are found in rain forests around the world
-Money is used for funds for infrastructure products like electricity and roads in developing regions

40
Q

Why is mineral extraction bad?

A

-Communities experience soil+water contamination, particularly downstream of a mine, due to toxic run-off into rivers
-conflict over land rights with indigenous people

Geography (2 decks)

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