Ecosystems

Question 1

What are some services of the tropical rainforest?

Answer 1

Huge stores of carbon dioxide, so helping regulate the greenhouse effect.

Supports thousands of plants and wild animals that may be useful to agriculture and medicine.

Provide people with the opportunity to develop recreation or tourism business.

Inspire a sense of awe and wonder in human beings.

Rubber and sugar.

Medicine - Rosy Periwinkle is used to treat childhood Leukaemia.

Question 2

What is the temperature range in a tropical rainforest?

Answer 2

3.5 degrees.

Question 3

What is the total annual rainfall in a tropical rainforest?

Answer 3

2509 mm.

Question 4

When is the wet season in the tropical rainforest?

Answer 4

August-May.

Question 5

What are the tertiary consumers in the TR?

Answer 5

Python and jaguar.

Question 6

What are the secondary consumers in a TR?

Answer 6

Vampire bat, iguanas and dart frog.

Question 7

What are some primary consumers in the TR?

Answer 7

Macaws, monkeys, fruit bats and grasshoppers.

Question 8

What are some producers in the TR?

Answer 8

Orchids, variation of seeds, banana trees, bamboo trees and coconut tress.

Question 9

What are some plant adaptions in the TR?

Answer 9

Trees are tall up to 40m to reach sunlight.

Tree trunks are straight and in their lower parts branchless to grow tall. Leaves are at the top of trees as that is where sunlight can be found.

The roots of trees are shallow so they are supported by triangular bases called buttress roots.

Leaves have drip tips so the water can roll off and preventing rotting of the leaf.

Question 10

How are animals adapted in the TR?

Answer 10

Sloths hair grows downwards so as water washed straight off of their backs and prevents them getting wet.

Question 11

What is the TR climate like?

Answer 11

Equatorial climate.
Rain all year round and a continuous growing season because temperatures are always above 6 degrees Celsius. Very warm and wet.

Question 12

Where are TR located?

Answer 12

Mostly between the Tropic and Cancer and Capricorn. Large areas are found in the continent of South America, Africa and South East Asia.

(They are found here because of the Hadley cell. The place on earth where the hot sun heats the ground and you get a lot of conventional rainfall).

Question 13

Talk about the forest floor in a TR?

Answer 13

Exposed roots can easily be seen as they are very shallow. The soul is very thin and poor. Nutrients come from leaf litter being decomposed. These nutrients are then taken up by the trees very quickly so there is not a chance for a decent soil layer to form.

Only two percent of light reaches this layer.
Termites, earthworms and fungi act as some of the key decomposers.

Question 14

Talk about the Shrub Layer in the TR?

Answer 14

Zero to ten metres high. Very dark as the canopy blocks out light. Orchids are found in this layer along with alligators, tarantulas, snakes, ants and jaguars.
There is a strong competition for light.

Question 15

Talk about the Under Canopy in the TR?

Answer 15

Ten to twenty metres high. Including palms and vines (lianas), competing for space and light. Epiphytes grow out of the trunks of trees in this layer - taking water and nutrients from their hosts. They also dangle roots in the air to pick up extra moisture. Howler monkeys and sloths are found in this layer.
Strangler figs take over other trees, killing them. Trees defend themselves against epiphytes by having smooth trunks to stop the epiphytes taking hold.

Question 16

Talk about the Canopy layer in the TR?

Answer 16

Twenty to thirty metres high. Has direct access to the sunlight. The leaves have drip tips to enable them to get rid of water and prevent them rotting. 80% of life is found in the canopy.

Question 17

Talk about the Emergent layer in the TR?

Answer 17

30 to 40 metres high. These trees have large buttress roots to stop them faking over as they are so tall and roots are only shallow.
Because he trees and exposed to strong sunlight their leaves tend to be small to reduce loss through evapotranspiration.

Question 18

What as the effects of deforestation?

Answer 18

Change in biodiversity.
Change in hydrology.
Change in soils.
Change in climate.

Question 19

Describe change in biodiversity as an effect of deforestation?

Answer 19

Removal of the forest causes loss of plant species. Animals are forced out as their food supply and habitat are destroyed. Many rainforest species have become extinct and others threatened because of a loss of habitat.

Question 20

Describe change in hydrology as an effect of deforestation?

Answer 20

Without trees the water cycle is disrupted. Interception and transpiration are both reduced and surface runoff increases. Water and silt pour into rivers, making them flood.

Question 21

Describe change in soils as an effect of deforestation?

Answer 21

Without trees to protect it the soil is easily eroded. Torrential rain removes nutrients via surface runoff and leaching, and the soil becomes infertile. Surface runoff on steep slopes can cause gulleying and mud slides.

Question 22

Describe change in climate as an effect of deforestation?

Answer 22

Transpiration is deduces and evaporation increases. This leads to a drier climate. Deforestation contributes to global warming because trees use up carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. Less forest means there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and his leads to global warming.

Question 23

What impact can deforestation have on local people, such as the Yanomami Tribe?

Answer 23

The Yanomami are an Indian Tribe in the Amazon Rainforest. Thousands of gold miners are now working on their land. This polluted their water sources with mercury which is poisonous. It has also exposed them to disease from the outside world which they are not immune to like the common cold. The forest is also their home and is being taken away.

Question 24

What is the impact of deforestation on a regional scale?

Answer 24

The city of São Paulo is suffering from a water shortage. This could be due to trees being taken down in the Amazon Rainforest. Trees create rainfall. If they are taken way hen water no longer evaporated from the trees back up into the sky and less rain is produced. Trees keep water in the system. So the local climate is potentially being impacted by deforestation.

Question 25

What are some impacts of deforestation on a global scale?

Answer 25

The Amazon Rainforest stores large amounts of carbon. When forests are burnt this releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to the Greenhouse Effect. This contributed to 1/5 of all carbon emissions.

Question 26

How can Ecological Reserves help sustainably manage the rainforest?

Answer 26

These are rates rich in wildlife that are completely protected from exploitation and development.

Question 27

How can Extractive Reserves help sustainably manage the rainforest?

Answer 27

No trees are felled or damaged, but local people have limited farming and fishing rights and can collect forest products such as rubber, Brazil nuts, fruits and specimens for scientific research. This is sustainable because plants can regenerate naturally and the rainforest is unharmed.

Question 28

How can Strip Logging help sustainably manage the rainforest?

Answer 28

Logging happens in thin lines through the rainforest. This means that animals can still move throughout the forest and seeds can be speed easily leading to regrowth.

Question 29

How can Ecotourism help sustainably manage the rainforest?

Answer 29

Small-scale with small numbers of tourists. It is controlled by local people so creates an income. It is also environmentally friendly.

Question 30

Talk about the case study of a Nature Reserve in the Amazon Rainforest.

Answer 30

Village on Jucara in the Batata District. Every tree is registered and given a number. The villagers are only allowed to cut down five trees per hectare and then they have to leave the area alone for thirty years to allow it to recover. One cubic metre of wood makes the villagers two hundred euros so the local make money from the trees. The school children are taught about the importance of protecting the rainforest and environment.

Question 31

Describe the location of semi-arid grasslands?

Answer 31

Found in between the Tropics and the Equator. They are the halfway ecosystems between deserts and rainforests. Large areas are found in Africa.

Question 32

How are Acacia tress adapted?

Answer 32

If a giraffe eats the leaves, the tree pumps a poisonous alkaloid into the leaves which makes them taste bad so the animal stops eating them. The tree emits a chemical which warms other trees in the area to do the same.
The tree creates shade which encourages animals. Their droppings provide nitrogen for the trees.
Fire resistant trunk.
Long thorns to prevent animals grazing.
Long tap roots to reach deep ground water sources.

Question 33

How are Baobab trees adapted?

Answer 33

Leaves only grow in the wet season to reduce water loss by transpiration.
Leaves are small to reduce transpiration.
Thick bark to prevent water loss.
Water stored in trunk to use in the dry season.
Elephants can break into the trunk to get the water supply.

Question 34

How is the grass adapted to the environment?

Answer 34

Can grow quickly to over a metre in the wet season.
Goes brown and dies back during the dry season to limit water loss.
Stores water and nutrients in its roots which can survive fire.

Question 35

How are Eucalyptus trees adapted?

Answer 35

Leaves hang down to reduce transpiration.
Trees lose leaves in the dry season to reduce transpiration.
Trees can withstand fire. Fire triggers the release of seeds to encourage regrowth.
Long tap root to reach water deep underground.

Question 36

What are the tertiary consumers in semi-arid grasslands?

Answer 36

Lion.

Question 37

What are the secondary consumers in semi-arid grasslands?

Answer 37

Hyenas and jaguars.

Question 38

What are the primary consumers in a semi-arid grassland?

Answer 38

Giraffe, rhino, and zebras.

Question 39

What are the producers in a semi-arid grassland?

Answer 39

Grass and trees.

Question 40

What is the Savanna nutrient cycle?

Answer 40

Rock weathering releases nutrients
Plants take up nutrients from soil
Herbivores take up nutrients by eating plants.
Carnivores take in nutrients by eating animals.
Animals die or waste such as animal dung.
Plants die
Decomposers such as bacteria, fungi and insects break down dead plants and animals.
Nutrients returned to soil.
Some nutrients lost by leaching and surface run-off when it rains.

Question 41

define biome

Answer 41

large scale ecosystems defined by abiotic factors and biotic factors such as climate, soils and vegetation eg rainforest.

Question 42

define ecosystem.

Answer 42

an ecosystem includes all of the living things (plants, animals and organisms) in a given area, interacting with each other and also in their non-living environment.

Question 43

abiotic

Answer 43

non living

Question 44

biotic

Answer 44

living

Question 45

define nutrient cycle.

Answer 45

the continuous flow of nitrogen and phosphates around an ecosystem. these nutrients exists in rocks, water and the atmosphere. these plants take them from the soil, releasing them back into the soil and when the plant died it is broken down by the decomposers.

Question 46

define nutrient store.

Answer 46

a part of an ecosystem in which nutrients are kept.

Question 47

define nutrient flow.

Answer 47

movement of minerals between stores.

Question 48

what is energy flow?

Answer 48

the main source of energy for all living things is sunlight. This is absorbed by producers such as plants. They convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis. this energy is passed onto animals when they eat the plant. these animals are called herbivores or primary consumers. in turn, these are eaten by other animals called carnivores or secondary consumers. This is called the food chain. Energy flows up the food chain.

Question 49

What are some reasons for the Rainforest being destroyed?

Answer 49

timber
mining
cattle ranching 
farming
transport
hydro-electricity 
settlement.

Question 50

What is the impact of the Rainforest being destroyed for Timber?

Answer 50

Mahogany is worth 500 pounds per cubic meter.
cut down at least thirty trees per day, per hectare.

roads also have to be made to reach the trees.
when trees fall, it pulls down others.
for one mahogany tree cut, 28 others are damaged.

Question 51

what is clear felling?

Answer 51

removing a large area of something e.g. trees in a forest.

Question 52

How are the Yanomami people affected by deforestation?

Answer 52

their water is polluted with mercury
fish are contaminated (their main source of food)
introduction of new diseases which people who are not to eg malaria or the flu.
miners exploit women leading to STDs.
conflict between the people and miners.
The Yanomami are working in return for food.
health will suffer.

Question 53

What is agroforestry?

Answer 53

tree materials recycled to the soil.
tree roots help bind soil.
bushes and shrubs such as banana, papaya and coffee planted beneath taller trees.
soil erosion and leeching are minimised.
small clearings made.
wind and rain splash reduced, organic matter builds up increasing moisture………
hedgegrows densely planted with trees.
high yields of various products.

provides food which can be eaten or sold.
will keep some trees from the forest and plant other specific ones/crops.
they can grow their own crops and have the benefits of surrounding trees.

Question 54

What is an ecological reserve?

Answer 54

an area rich in wildlife that is completly protected from exploitation and development.

Question 55

What is an extractive reserve?

Answer 55

Belongs to the state. No trees are felled or damaged, nut local people have limited farming and fishing rights and can collect forest products.

Question 56

Where are rainforests located?

Answer 56

between the tropics
along the equator
In South America and Malasia.

Question 57

Where are hot semi-arid grasslands located?

Answer 57

Between 5 degrees N of the Tropic of Cancer and 5 degrees S of the Tropic of Capricorn.
Africa, India and Australia.
Over half of Africa is covered in hot semi-arid and grassland called Savannah.
Between the desert and rainforest biomes.

Question 58

What is the climate of the rainforest?

Answer 58

at least 60mm of rainfall every month.
between 21 and thirty degrees all year round.
annual rainfall is 2509mm.
no seasons.

Question 59

What is the climate of a hot semi-arid grassland?

Answer 59

992mm annual rainfall. 
between 16-30 degrees
dry season from Oct through to May. 
wet and dry season. 
7 months of 15mm.