Ecosystems at Risk Flashcards
What are diverse ecosystems?
Can be defined as either terrestrial or aquatic.
Energy cycles and trophic scale
- Explanation of the energy flows of an ecosystems; food chain.
- Trophic scale is the position an organism maintains on the food chain
What are nutrient cycles?
Four cour nutrient cycles; carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus cycle. The growth and energy transferred amongst ecosystems utilised by life.
Biophysical interactions - Atmosphere
- Layer of gases in air, impacting climate and chemical composition.
- amount of water in environment
- survival of environment
- Soil in environment
Biophysical interactions - Hydrosphere
- Encompasses all water.
- bodies of water
- erosionary forces
Biophysical interactions - Lithosphere
- Rigid outer layer of earth and consists of crust, topography and soils.
Biophysical interactions - Biosphere
- All living things, biosphere impacts ecosystem through energy and nutrient cycling.
What is resilience
Capacity for ecosystems to bounce back after stress, ability of ecosystem to adapt to changing environment and restore function and structure.
What is vulnerability?
Relates to sensitivity of an ecosystem to stress and capacity to withstand it, as ecosystems sit within a constant dynamic equilibrium.
What is the acronym BELL?
Biodiversity
Extent
Location
Linkage
What is biodiversity?
Diversity of habitats, biotic communities and ecological processes.
Ecosystem diversity
- Species diversity
- Genetic diversity
Extent and linkage?
Extent - Size and amount of an ecosystem, can be specific i.e. genetic diversity.
Linkage - Interdependence of different species within ecosystem.
Nature of natural stress?
Natural stresses defined by two types: gradual and catastrophic.
Gradual adaptation
Overtime species adapt and change in response to conditions, species are better than others.
Ecological succession
- Species gradually taking over environment from another
Impacts of natural stress
- organism level
- population level
- community level: disruption of energy and chemical flow and cycles.
Human impacts upon environment acronym (PREPDAD)
Pollution
Removal of species
Exploitation
Protection
Destruction
Adding species
Degradation
Magnitude and rate of change?
- Magnitude refers to size and extent of how an ecosystem is altered beyond dynamic equilibrium.
- Rate of change is the velocity of over time.
Importance of environmental management acronym (ICHUG)
Intrinsic
Change
Heritage
Utility
Genetic Diversity
Intrinsic value?
Value of ecosystem for its mere existence.
Value in change?
Importance of allowing evolution and natural processes to respond to ecosystem for benefit of resistance.
Heritage value?
Places being components of natural environment of Australia or cultural environment which have aesthetic, historic, scientific or social significance.
Utility value?
How living and non-living components have value through human exploitation.
