Ecosystems Flashcards
Location of Arctic Tundra?
20% of earths surface
Location of Coniferous Forest?
cooler parts of world e.g. north america, northern europe and asia, higher altitudes
Location of deciduous woodland
- eastern half of north america
- central europe
- some places in eastern japan and china
Location of savannah grassland?
- cover 20% of earths surface
- tropical lattitudes
- between deserts and forests eg s. america, india but most in africa
Location of tropical rainforests?
- tropics
- africa - congo
- south east asia - malaysia
- amazon in brazil
Location of deserts?
- sahara in n africa
- arabian middle east
- gobi n china
- kalahari africa
Climate arctic tundra
cold treeless
10 degress in summer
dry same amount of rain as desert
climate in coniferous forest
low winter temp = -20 = low biodiversity
low rainfall in winter but more in summer when temps = 20
climate in deciduous woodland
mid latitudes
fairly constant rainfall
warmer and colder season
climate in savannah grassland
wet and dry season - warm all year
few degrees cooler in dry season
20-30 degrees
climate in tropical rainforest
1900mm rain
humid warm
max 34 min 20
77-88% humidity
climate in desert
lack of rain
dry soil
sometimes rain evaporates before hitting ground
plants and animals in arctic tundra
animals adapt
snow owl, arctic foxx
grasses, small shrubs, herbs , lichens - in groups close to ground
plants and animals in coniferous forest
trees grow needles - evergreen
mammals moose deer reindeer mice bears foxes
plants and animals in deciduous woodland
not evergreen trees - shed and regrow leaves
ash birch beech elm
bears racoons squirrels deer
plants and animals in savannah grassland
lemon and star grass
acacia and baobab trees
droguht resisting plants
elephants zebras rhinos cheetahs lions etc
plants and animals in rainforest
monkeys birds reptiles snakes
plants and animals in desert
cacti and shrubs - store water in fleshy leaves
nocturnal animals - camels scorpions adapted to needing little water
how is epping forest interdependant
- lose leaves in winter so trees conserve energy
- by spring all leaf litter disappeared due to decomposers and detrivores
- nutrients stored in leaves → humus in soil, to support new plant growth
- fruits and berries that will support primary consumers
how does epping forest lose lots of nutrients each year
leaching during episodes of heavy rainfall
soil in tropical rainforst
shallow and lack minerals
not fertile
nutrients leached away`
water cycle in tropical rainforest
- sun heats ground
- warm air rises
- air cools and water vapour condenses
- clouds create precipitation
nutrient cycle in tropical rainforest
most nutrients stored in biomass
soil poor store of nutrients
decomposition occurs quickly so few nutrients stored in leaf litter
what is litter
dead organic material eg fallen leaves
what is soil
mixture of dead organic material and weathered bedorck
adaptations of biotic components in a rain forest
plants of forest floor - large leaves - lack of light - and drip tips to help shed rainwater easily
buttress roots = stability for height and a nutrient store
harpy eagle lives in canopy
sloths live in canopy - camouflague and slowness, green algae grows in fur
trees in canopy have small leaves - reduce water loss through transpiration
hummingbird - strong flight muscles so can hover
toucans - long bills to reach fruit
what happens if rain forest deforested
less interception and transpiration = more runoff
less moisture caught by vegetation so less rainfall
drought and desertification
why are rain forests important
produce oxygen
half of worlds plants and animals
modern food staples
drugs
remove carbon
indigenous people
fresh water source - 20% of worlds rainfall
impacts of deforestation in borneo
habitat loss
carbon emissions
fire
water quality
land degradation
social issues
development opportunities in hot deserts
mineral extraction, energy, farming, tourism
challenges of development in hot deserts
extreme temperatures, water supply, inaccessibility.
causes of desertification?
climate change, population growth,
removal of fuel wood, overgrazing, over-cultivation and soil erosion
strategies to minimise risk of desertification
water and soil management, tree planting and use of appropriate technology.
why do deserts not appear as a uniform band
ocean currents - if cold can cool air near a continent = rain
relief rain - only rains on side wind blows from = rain shadow eg arizona
some areas a long way from ocean so no moisture - continentality
why is it cold at night in desert
no clouds so when heat rises it leaves atmosphere (outgoing long wave radiation)
low temps could be prob for plants and animals adapting
characteristics of desert soils
sandy rocky
1m deep
little organic material due to lack of vegetation
white powder on surface (salts drawn to surface by evaporation)
little rain and soil not fertile
what is the white powder on desert surface
calcium carbonate
energy in western desert
solar power
hep - lake mead, hoover dam
fossil fuels - arizona since 1905
tourism in western desert
entertainment - LA 37m visitors a year
national parks - grand canyon - wilderness area
colorado museum in arizona
lake mead and powel - water transfer projects - attract 2m people/yr - boating fishing water skiing
two dams on colorado river
hoover dam 1935 - stores 2 yrs of water in lake mead
glen canyon dam 1963
- bring water to western desert however silt get trapped, species lost
what areas are at risk of desertification
long dry season
unreliable rainfall
suffer drought
how does overcultivaton lead to desertification
population growth puts pressure on farmland
farmers use land for crops that would be better for animals
cash crop = fields dont lay fallow
link between climate change and desertification (possible)
higher temps = more transpiration, reduced condensation and rainfall
what is land degradation
loss of soil and progressive lowering of land surface by wind ( blows away soil) and water (washes away soil) - human mismanagement
soil erosion link to loss of vegetation
limited fertility - become exhausted if over grazed
vegetation cant ground so soil not bound by roots
rain - runoff because cant percolate through baked soil
degradation of land - farmers cultivate marginal areas - livestock search larger areas for food
water sources dry up - trees disappear
famine - rural-urban migration
problems in sahel
droughts
population pressure - better medical care so more livestock to feed people = overgrazing
social - 300k people died in 1970s droughts, mainly farmers, cities grew due to migration = famine in ethiopia
solutions to overcultivation
fertilisers and manure improve fertility so yields however expensive
drought resisting qualities
solutions to overcultivation in sahel
better farming methods - crop rotation, irrigation, contour ploughing, bunds to stop rain dripping down
solutions to overgrazing in sahel
↑ stock quality - vaccination
better management - smaller herd size, graze land on rotational basis
tackling desertification sahel using afforestation
planting trees on communal basis
crops amongst trees hold soil together
biogas reduce need for firewood
use solar power
probs with cash crops sahel
- governements dont have money for anti desetification
- governments have encouraged cash crops to pay debts to HICs and export to richer countries
- less food
- subsistence farmers pushed to arid land as cash crops grown on good land
why are solutions in sahel not easy
cost money, involve training and education in land management
- subsistence farmers need to be encouraged to put more back into land
- good irrigation schemes required
- animal numbers need to be correctly managed
- trees need to be planted to replace those lost by deforestation
