Ecosystems Flashcards
Local conservation area
Sheffield City Centre Nature Walk- The Blue Loop
Founded by Natural England and National Lottery
Managed by partnership of Groundwalk Sheffield and River Stewardship Co
Industrial past:
river Don essential in providing water to factories
difficult to navigate river
salmon rich waters became lifeless
canal opened in 1819- new infrastructure needed
success of canal short lived as train arrived so went into disrepair
Biodiversity of Blue Loop:
many unique habitats due to modified environments
Biodiversity Acts Plan (BAP) aims to protect important wildlife species and habitats
Native species- fish (ladders on weirs so swim upstream), otters (river bank management), birds (vegetated banks etc)
Non-native species- interrupt natural succession and restrict biodiversity, buddleia (damaging to other species), American crayfish (kill English Crayfish)
Benefits:
socia-economic- encourage tourism and investment into local area
reduced flood risk- wetland areas and vegetation on flood plains
recreational resource- cycle and walking routes for 13km
Conservation area
Dulwich Upper Wood southeast London 2ha remnants of large wooded area open all times network of trails- wheelchair freindly
Species:
wood development form abandoned victorian gardens
trees- sycamore, ash, oak, lime
few garden plants remain
wood plants thrive- bluebells, yellow pimpernell
250 types of fungi
Mammels- foxes, bats, mice, hedgehogs live in wood
more than 40 species of bird- woodpeckers, owls
variety of insects- moths, butterflies
Site features:
preserved and re-created habitats- wet areas and herb gardens
both managed and allowed to grow wild
range of habitats
‘original habitats’ preserved to allow native species to thrive
school study site
Tropical Monsoon Forest
Sundarbans Reserved Forest Bangladesh forest and swap in delta of Ganges 10000km^2 1000 people per square kilometer large areas have been cleared for agriculture
Threats:
Climate change- sea levels rising 3mm a year, flooding on low level delta, shore line retreat so loss of habitats
Abstraction of water- from rivers upstream, for irrigation during dry season
Deforestation- greater volume of silt being deposited by rivers, loss of habitats
Water pollution- industries in and around, affect aquatic wildlife
Natural disasters- cyclone in 2007 killed 3000 people and 40% of forest
Species:
mangorves- salt tolerant trees
endangered predators- bengal tiger (150 left), crocodile, indian python
hundreds of bird species- kingfisher, heron (number decreasing)
Management:
World Heritage site in 1997, Biosphere reserve 2001
7 conservation areas
illegal to cultivate land but lack of law enforcement
should give community more involvement
Savanna Grasslands
Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro conservation area Tanzania, close to Kenyan Boarder form a UNESCO Biosphere reserve designated World Heritage site 2305100ha immense open plains, volcanic uplands one of oldest ecosystems on earth Masai Mara live their- forbid eating wild animals, biodiversity protected
Animals:
known for herds of wildebeest (1.3 million)
Thomson’s Gazelle (400000)
Plains Zebras (200000)
endangered African Elephant (2000)
500 bird species- ostrich, stork, flamingo
rhinos, hippos, giraffe
Management:
community wildlife management areas
locals have right to make decisions- don’t always know best decision
protect more than 42000km^2 of land
Deforestation
Amazonia Rainforest
exploited since 1960s
majority of roads through forest are illegal
initial tracks built by loggers to access hard woods
paths opened by ranchers and farmes
Economic impacts:
poorest rarely benefit
first settlers had little impact- rich were offered more land for greater return
smaller growers who live in harmony with forest were sidelined
large companies moved in
hydroelectric power and mineral extraction
Environmental Impacts:
cleared plots too extensive
land not allowed to regain fertility
pressure on resources (5000 people move in a month)
soil degraded, yields decrease
monoculture- loss of biodiversity
lose 137 species a day, 20 football pitches a day
Social Impacts:
land illegally stolen by miners from locals
loss of hope for Amazonia settlers
new settlers bring new threats to health and culture- new diseases
Fragile environment- Tropical Rainforest
Central Amazon conservation complex protected from development by law north/north west of Manaus- in Rio Negro Watershed more than 6million ha in size corridor of land that links 3 reserves UNESCO world heritage site second largest area of protected rainforest sparsely populated
Species:
average of 180 tress per ha
200 species of mammal, 500 species of bird, 300 species of fish
endangers- armadillo, spider monkey
Management:
3 main functions- 1) protect land, minimise impact of humans
2) research, catalogue, protect biodiversity
3) manage specific activities such as tourism
manage natural resources:
primitive zone (no human activity), extensive zone (small amount of work), intensive use zone (already lots of human activity), special use zone (monitor wildlife etc)
no large scale projects such as hydroelectric dams
little tourism- 2000 a year
hunting and logging is prohibited, inhabitants receive environmental education, zoning and protection established, increased production from natural resources
Fragile Environment Management
Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland
UNECO World Heritage site (number 7 of 10 criteria- superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance)
site of special cultural and natural significance
23km long, 120sqKm, retreat 3.5km since 1860, max thickness is 900m
80000ha in south-west switzerland Swiss Alps Jungfrau is valued for: spectacular beauty tourist potential wealth of information contained (about climate change) wide variety of habitats and ecosystems
Management:
1) management of tourism- popular viewpoints have viewing stations and cafes, degradation is inevitable but walkways help to reduce, ongoing conservation initiatives
2) scientific research and management- research and visitor centre teach of its importance, measures continuously since 1800s
3) conservation- forests and other habitats have little human contact
Sustainable Tourism
Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre, Borneo
Economic development:
orang-utan numbers dramatically declined- result of human activities in native environments
rapidly industrialising economies- led to 80% loss of orang-utans in last 20 years
main loss due to deforestation/logging
Protection and rehab:
set up in 1964
care for orphaned, sick or injured orang-utans
centre lies at edge of reserves but no boundaries
80 orang-utans free to return to wise at a time
several other endangered species too (elephants)
Sustainable tourism:
plays an important conservation role but also popular tourist attraction
visitor access to reserve is restricted to walkways
tourists not allowed to handle or touch orang-utans
Sepilok is a centre for research and education- generated awareness of protection laws, Malaysian government has invested greater resources
Development Issues
Batwa Pygmies, Uganda
1992- Bwindi Impenetrable forest and Mgahinga forest reserves upgraded to national parks
World Heritage site- unique biodiversity of parks’ tropical equatorial rainforest
access to forest becomes restricted
stimulated a healthy tourist industry- encouraged economic development
largely negative impact on traditional tribes living locally- excluded from government’s decision making process
communities evicted from homes
Human Impact:
Batwa Pygmies removed from traditional tropical homes in 1992
forgotten by government, misunderstood by outsiders, forced to settle on fringes, ill prepared for modern life, lack of land to work on
The future:
sustainable community based projets
trails for guided walks through forest
money raised given back to community
