Ecosystems and Tropical Rainforests Flashcards
1
Q
what is an ecosystem?
A
a natural environment that is made up of plants, animals and the environment in which they live
2
Q
what is a biome?
A
an area classified according to the species that live in that location
3
Q
what is nutrient cycling?
A
cyclic movements of nutrients such as calcium, potassium and magnesium within an ecosystem
4
Q
what are biotic factors?
A
living elements of an ecosystem e.g. plants and animals
5
Q
what are abiotic factors?
A
non-living elements of an ecosystem e.g. climate, temperature and soil type
6
Q
what is a biome?
A
a global scale ecosystem
7
Q
what can the organisms in an ecosystem be classed as?
A
producers, consumers and decomposers
8
Q
what is a micro-habitat?
A
a very small scale system, such as a tree
9
Q
what is a biosphere?
A
all the living organisms in the world and their physical environment
10
Q
what is a producer?
A
an organism that uses sunlight energy to produce food
11
Q
what is a consumer?
A
an organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms
12
Q
what is a decomposer?
A
an organism that gets its energy from breaking down dead material
13
Q
where is Epping Forest?
A
Essex- to the Northeast of London
14
Q
what are the key features of Epping Forest?
A
- several native tree species e.g. Oak, Elm, Ash and Beech
- over 700 species of fungi
insects, mammals, amphibians and birds
15
Q
how do humans impact the ecosystem of Epping Forest?
A
visitors pick fruit and berries- helps to disperse seeds
hunting forest
16
Q
explain how nutrient cycling works
A
when dead material is decomposed, nutrients are released into the soil
the nutrients are then taken up from the soil into plants
the plants may then be eaten by consumers
when the plants or consumers die, the nutrients return to the soil
17
Q
what are the two main sources of nutrients in an ecosystem?
A
rainwater and weathering of rocks
18
Q
what factors influence the location of biomes?
A
latitude, air pressure and winds, climate
19
Q
location of coniferous forests?
A
roughly 60 degrees north
20
Q
characteristics of coniferous forests?
A
cold and dark Winters
quite warm Summers
coniferous trees
21
Q
location of deciduous forests?
A
roughly 50 degrees North
22
Q
what is the natural ecosystem for the UK?
A
deciduous forests
23
Q
characteristics of deciduous forests?
A
deciduous trees shed their leaves in Winter to retain moisture, climate is more moderate, mild conditions
24
Q
location of deserts?
A
roughly 30 degrees North and South of the equator
close to the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
25
characteristics of deserts?
hot in the day time
cold at night time- lack of cloud cover- allowing heat to escape
26
characteristics of the Mediterrean?
hot and dry Summers
wet and mild Winters
26
location of the Mediterrean?
roughly 40-45 degrees North of the equator
27
location of polar/tundra?
high latitudes such as Canada and Siberia
28
characteristics of polar/ tundra?
extremely cold in polar regions
limited precipitation
29
location of tropical rainforests?
close to the equator, widespread across Asia, Africa and South America
30
characteristics of tropical rainforests?
sun heats the moist air- rises to produce heavy rainfall
31
location of the Savannah?
between 15-30 degrees North and South of the equator
32
characteristics of the Savannah?
distinct wet and dry seasons
fires are common in the dry seasons
33
how much of the Earth's surface do rainforests cover?
about 2%
34
where are rainforests found?
a broad belt close to the equator from South America in the West through West Africa to Southeast Asia and Australia in the East
35
what is the climate like in rainforests?
high temperatures (above 27 degrees)
high rainfall (over 200mm)
36
what is the water like in tropical rainforests?
distinct wet seasons with high rainfall totals lasting for several months
excess water on the ground, swelling rivers and sometimes flooding
37
what are the soils like in tropical rainforests?
not very fertile- nutrients are concentrated in the upper top soil and are quickly taken by the plants as the grow
38
what type of roots do plants and trees have?
shallow roots to maximise their use of these vital nutrients
39
where do birds live in the rainforest?
in the canopy, feeding on seeds and nectar
40
what is the ground layer made up of?
decomposed material broken down by the hot, humid conditions
consists of scattered plants and fungi
41
what grows in the understory?
woody plants and shrubs grow in the humid, calm conditions with limited sunlight
42
what does the canopy do?
continuous, dense tree cover protects the ground from heavy rainfall and reduces the amount of light to areas below
43
how are lianas an adaptation to tropical rainforest conditions?
woody vines- have roots in the ground but climb up trees to reach the sunlight
44
how are drip tips adapted to tropical rainforest conditions?
plants have leaves with pointy tips- allows water to run off the leaves quickly without damaging/ breaking them
45
how are buttress roots adapted to tropical rainforest conditions?
large roots have ridges which create a large SA that help to support large trees
46
adaptations of poison dart frogs?
feet have extra-strong suction cups to climb and hold slippery branches
47
adaptations of three-toed sloth?
extra vertebrae- can turn neck 270 degrees to check for predators above/below
can swim in floods
green algae in fur to camouflage
48
how much of the world's fresh water comes from the Amazon basin?
20%
49
how much of the world's plants and animals is the rainforest home to?
50%
50
how much oxygen does the rainforest contribute?
28% of the world's oxygen
51
what food resources come from rainforests?
wood, nuts, fruit and minerals
banana, cocoa and sugar as well as cinnamon and vanilla
52
how much of all medicines comes from rainforest plants?
25%
53
example of a tribe living in the Peru rainforest?
the Achuar tribe
54
what energy does the rainforest create?
the high rainfall creates the potential for hydro-electric power
55
why do plants grow so quickly in the rainforest?
the hot, moist conditions
56
how many different species of plants and animals is the rainforest home to?
over 15 million
57
one hectare of land contains...
1500 species of fish, 2000 bird species and over 30,000 species of insects
58
why is the soil quality bad in rainforests?
the minerals are absorbed by the plants or washed away by the rainfall
59
what small threats does biodiversity face?
lightning strikes (fires), floods and diseases
60
what big threats does biodiversity face?
people
61
what is slash and burn agriculture?
where people burn down the forest to make a commercial plantation of something like soya
62
why is mining bad?
pollution of water supplies from toxic metals and destruction of forests
63
what issues does biodiversity decreasing lead to? (people)
indigenous tribes won't be able to live in rainforests
plants and animals will become extinct before even being discovered
64
how is road building a cause of deforestation?
cut down trees to make space for roads
people settle along roads due to accessibility- leads to further deforestation
houses are built and crops are grown
65
how is subsistence (crop) farming a cause of deforestation?
farmers stay on the same land and attempt to farm it year after year
nutrients in the soil become quickly exhausted
66
how is illegal trade in wildlife a cause of deforestation?
it upsets the natural balance of the rainforest ecosystem (does not directly cause deforestation)
67
how is energy development a cause of deforestation?
unlimited supply of water and ideal river conditions in the rainforest have led to the development of hydroelectric power station
constructing dams and reservoirs floods vast areas of rainforests
the submerged forest causes the water to become acidic- as it rots
68
how is commercially farming cattle a cause of deforestation?
ranching- leading cause of deforestation
ranching involves clearing an area of rainforest then rearing cattle on the land
destructs the nutrient cycle
69
how is logging a cause of deforestation?
commercial logging (cutting down trees to sell/ use the wood) accounts for only 3% of deforestation
70
how is mineral extraction a cause of deforestation?
the primary type of mining in the Amazon is for gold
other minerals are also extracted such as- iron ore, bauxite and oil
the trees become clear-felled and the top soil is completely removed to access the minerals underground
71
is local climate change insignificant/ significant/ severe?
significant as it overall makes the local climate drier- the climate becomes drier- can cause fires
72
is soil erosion/ fertility insignificant/ significant/ severe?
severe as you cannot grow any crops/ vegetation
insects that feed on plants will begin to die- affecting food chains
73
is river pollution insignificant/ significant/ severe?
severe as it kills fish which can ruin food chains and food for people- inhabitants will not be able to live in the rainforest anymore and will be left without a home
74
is the decline of indigenous tribes insignificant/ significant/ severe?
significant because there will be less people living in the rainforest- less culture and diversity
75
is climate change insignificant/ significant/ severe?
severe as the rainforest can become destroyed and in the long term, oxygen levels will decrease
76
is biodiversity loss insignificant/ significant/ severe?
severe as it destroys the biodiversity- less oxygen released by the plants- more CO2 in the atmosphere and many cures for diseases can be lost
77
what are some parts of small-scale forestry?
selective logging
agroforestry
replanting
78
what is selective logging?
only felling fully grown trees- they are less valuable ecologically- younger trees can mature and continue to provide protection from soil erosion
79
how long does the selective logging cycle last for?
between 30 to 40 years- trees cannot be felled until they are at least 30 years old
80
what is agroforestry?
growing crops and trees together
farmers grow crops in carefully controlled, cleared areas within the rainforest, surrounded by plantations of trees
81
how can agroforestry help?
can control runoff and soil erosion- reducing loss of water, soil material, organic matter and nutrients
82
what is replanting?
recreates forest cover that has been lost that is almost the same as the original forest
seeds are collected from the remaining patches of the original forest
these seeds are then planted so they can grow into saplings- once the saplings are strong enough, they will be planted back into areas that have been deforested- they will grow into full-size trees
83
why is illegal logging challenging for the government to stop?
due to the remoteness of the parts of the rainforest
illegal logging can take place unnoticed
84
how are the government able to monitor illegal logging?
by using satellites and drones
85
what is the 2006 international tropical timber agreement?
restricts trade in tropical rainforest hardwoods- making it more difficult to sell them and make money from them
this agreement means all hardwood timber has to be marked with a registration number which shows it was felled so buyers can see it was sustainably sourced
86
87
what are debt for nature swaps??
the scheme in place between the USA and Brazil- the USA allowed Brazil to convert the £13.5 million debt into a fund to protect the Amazon rainforest
88
how are debt for nature swaps sustainable??
money which would have been used for paying back debt is instead used to pay for the rainforest
89
what are the limitations to the debt for nature swaps?
if the poorer nation doesn’t have the money to pay back the richer country, it won’t have money to put into the rainforest
90
what is eco-tourism?
a small- scale tourism and entirely local- organised and run by local people- creates jobs for local people and only uses local produce
the money generates is invested back into conservation projects that protects the rainforest- benefits the government and the local people
91
what are the limitations of eco-tourism?
can’t be scaled up- wouldn’t be sustainable
92
what is education and conservation?
charities that protect ecosystems that are seriously threatened
they write education programmes and sometimes buy threatened areas of land to turn into nature reserves to ensure long-term protection
93
what are the limitations of education and conservation?
it needs funding as well as willing people
