Ecosystems (Biodiversity And Management) Flashcards
Characteristics of tundra
Climate
Cold(less than 0°C max 10°C
>250mm precip
Vegetation
Lichens+mosses
characteristics of
What medicines comes from the biosphere
• quinine comes from
bark and is used
as a painkiller
• periwinkle plant treats leukaemia
• st johns wort is used to help with depression
•Vitamin C is vital for health and found in oranges
What resources from the biosphere can be used for scaffolding?
• Bamboo
•Timber
Problems caused by the exploitation of biosphere
Water demand= droughts e.g Indonesia
Biofuel=Deforestation and destruction of habitat
mineral sources- e.g mountain top mining dust canpollute air=poor air quality in area for wildlife= ilness
sulphate + selenium dissolve in water can kill aquatic life
how does the climate affect the distribution of large scale ecosystems?
The ecosystems’ climates and weather differ so can influence what grows there .e.g. rainforests have the greatest amount of biodiversity due to a constant warm/high temperature lots of sunlight and plentiful supply of moisture. This provides perfect conditions for continuous growth of plants
What is a biome?
a large area of the earths surface which is defined by the types of plants and animals living there.
Characteristics of decidous woodlands
• Leaves fall in autumn so dont phtosynthesise
Trees=tall
Trees spaced out 4-5m
They occur in places with high rainfall, warm summers and cooler winters
Soil full of nutrients
Charcteristics of coniferous woodlands
Pine needles all year
Tall and skinny trees
Evergreen trees Furns on ground
Found 50-60° north of equator
Thick bark
Compacted together for warmth
Cold climate
Characteritics of moorland
-Heather
- Fields with often boardered trees
.hilly
a natural plants and grasses
. Few trees
- not intensely farmed
- Found in upland areas
-small shrubs such as heather
Acidic soild
Peat bogs
Rough grasslands
Where is the tropic of Capricorn and cancer
Capricorn=south of equator
Cancer= north of the equator
Wetlands characteristics
Where land meets
water
40% of wildlife rely on
. protect us from flooding and drought
they purify water
Most have gone in the uk
small grasses + moss next to
them
- most wetlands have been drained
for farmland use
Low nutrients waterlogged soil
with sedges too, mosses. - vital habitat for wading birds
curlews & bitters. - also home to the very rare
Fen raft spider
Heathland characteristics
Ground and grass= very dry
grass looks burnt
. Lots of Small twiggy plants
-scattered across uk
-u shaped valley
In lowland areas
- some are really dry land and
others boggy
- Inhabiting species include marsh
gentian, sudews (carnivorous plants). lady-
bird spider and sand lizard.
Uses of marine ecosystems
uses
- Fishing (recreation)
-tourism
Food consumption
-aquaculture
- nanotechnology
-education
-generating electricity
-nutrient recycling
What is litter?
Dead organic matter lying on the soil such as leaves
What is organic material ?
Something that was once living
What is inorganic material ?
Something that has never lived eg. Water
What is soil?
The top layer of the earth in which plants grow.it contains organic and inorganic material
What is biomass?
The ammount or weight of recently living or living organisms
What is the nutrient cycle?
The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic material into living matter
What is the food chain?
A series of steps by which energy is obtained and used by living organisms
What is the gfood web?
A network of food chains by which energy and nutrients ase passed from one species to another.it is essentially who eats who
What is biodiversity?
The number of species present in an area
What are limiting factors ?
Factors that limit biodiversity / population size such as temp, moistures,light and nutrients. These factors are in abundance in tropical rainforests which accounts for their biodiversity
What conditions are needed to obtain a high biodiversity ?
• Poor soil (low nutrient soil)
• time (no glaciation)
• no harsh weather conditions or catastrophic events
Why is biodiversity so high in tropical rainforests ?
•High constant temp (26 -30°c)
• high levels of rainfall all year round (2000mm)
• high humidity
. Good levels of sunlight all year
• constant growing season
• nutrients low in soil so compete
List the 3 main goods from Trfs
• Food
• medicine
• wood
List l main service from Trfs
Tourism - recreation
List medicines derived from the amazon rainforest
vampire bats saliva-used to
prevent heart attacks
curare liana plant - used to treat
multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease
Novocaine from cacao plants is
a local an anesthetic
Quinine - comes fom th cinchona tree of south america and is used to theat malaria
List the impacts of climate change on Trfs
-forest fires = trees burn =CO2
stored in trees released
. 2°c inc in temp = insignificant rainfall = dry out
loose 20% of all species on the planet
- could loose genetic information in plants
that could help create new medicines + current
medicines
what is distribution ?
describes how something is spread out over an area of land
What is the key factor limiting the distribution of the worlds large-scale ecosystems?
Climate
biosphere
Sphere of combined proportions of planet in which all life exits including, land and atmosphere
biosphere uses
water- high demand biosphere deprived such as hammon wetalnds due to pop growth, building in neigbouring areas and wasteful irragtion
biofuel- carbon neutral valuable alternative from fossil fuels
destroys habbitts as areas are devoted to biofules
Mineral sources
demand for these has major impact on biosphere
pollutes air eith dust + poor air quality in area for animals
surrounding water has hugher levels of sulphate+selenium kills aquatic life
Types of woodlands and compare them
decidous
leaves fall in winter
trees+tall
trees spread about 4-5m
lots of trees
sunlight passes through branches
Coniferous
green pine needles
dark under trees
tall and skinny
more trees than decidous
ferns often on ground
moorland
heather
fields for sheep
often bordered with trees
few trees
hilly
natural plants and grasses
soil often acidic
upland areas
wetlands
where land meets water
40% of wildlife rely on them
protect from flooding + drought
35% have gone in uk
reducing 3x faster than a forest
low nutrients water logged soil
vital habitat for wading birds, curlews and bittens
also home to fen raft spider
heathland
ground and grass is dry
grass looks burnt
lots of shrubs+ twiggy plants
in lowland areas
some are dry some are boggy
inhabiting species incude
marsh gertian, suews, lady bird spider and and lizard
damages to marine ecosytems
overfishing- population of fish delcine making some species extinct
eutrophication-chemicals from farms go in sea killing fish + aquatic life
construction of large wind farms- disturbs sea creatures such as dolphins as they rely on sound and wind farms pollute eith sound
economic development reduces costal features and naturality some areas are damaged
construction of deep water ports, pollution: noise and chemical spillages, co2 etc
adaptations in trf
drip tips- remove ecess water
butess roots- stabilise tree
waxy leaves- stop water infiltration
tall straight tree trunks- grow striaght upwards to gain light
animlas adaptations trf
colougos- huge gliding wings leaps from tree to tree
pangolians-curl themselves up into a ballto prtoect- super sense of smell
claws can dig through ground
mouse -lemurs0- nocturnals and small so can easily be miseed
often 10cm long
long tails to help them climb+ leap
chameleons- change colour to camoflaugue
goods from trf
nuts
medicine]food ]vanilla
cocunuts
releases oxygen
services trf
tourims
reduces flood risk
maintians water cycle
medidicnes trf
vampire bats- saliva used to prevent heart attacks
curare liana plant- used to treat multiple sclerosisi and parkinsons
novacaine us a local aneasthetic
quinine- use to treat malaria comes from the cinchora tree
medidicnes trf
vampire bats- saliva used to prevent heart attacks
curare liana plant- used to treat multiple sclerosisi and parkinsons
novacaine us a local aneasthetic
quinine- use to treat malaria comes from the cinchora tree
woodlanddecidous animal adaptations
small birds in sub vcanpoy feed of insects + berries
home to foxs deers
squirrels and badgers
structure of decidous- 4 layers
ground layer
herb layer
sub canopy
canopy
soil decidous
rich nutrients- less rainfall less leaching in winter decomoosition is slower
deep root systems to acess nutrients dep down
tree adaptations- deciodus
wide - sunlight
large + strong
leaves broad + soft - width more solar energy soft as they dont need as much of a waxy coating beacuse less rainfall
decidous goods
wood-timber
medicines from willow tree bark
services deciduous
tourism
reacreational visits
threats to decidous
climate change- messes up germination+ inc risk of drought+inc risk of fire
timber extraction- defrorestation, agricultural change mre trees chopped down for farming
What degrees in latitude are grassland bikes found in?
+23.5° and -23.5° latitude
Describe the distribution of TRFS
Distribution of turf lie mostly near the equator in between the tropics of Capricorn and the tropics of cancer . Some of the TRFS are distributed in South America, West Africa, South Asia. They are often found between the tropics as it is hot an humid
Distribution of Boreal Forest (aka Taiga)
O all fours types it is found i the highest latitude
Found in Canada , Norway, Russia,Sweden
Describe the distribution of tropical grasslands
They are usually found between the tropics +23.5º and -23.5º of the equator
South America, India , AUSTRALIA
Examples include the African sAVANNAS
Distribution of hot deserts
•15º-35º N+S of the equator
•Almost no rainfall,
•Temp=high in day but freezing at night
Sahara desert is an example of this
Describe the distribution of Tundra
Arctic, Alaska and places close to the North Pole are Tundra
Far North an Souht of the World between 60º-75º
Distribution of Temperate Grasslands
Found +30º
Wet+dry season
Dominant vegetation= grass
Found at higher latitudes
Distribution of Temperate forests
Lie slightly North of the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere, so the distribution is uneven.
They can be found in Uk, Europe , France however there are some East of South America
Brief overview of Temperate forests
Found in northern hemisphere
Foun in Europe, USA, China
Can be identified by 4 seasons -Shedding leaves in winter
Climate V Local factors which affect the biome
NEEDS TO BE FINISHED OFF AND CONTINUED IT IS THE TP RIGHT OF THE FIRT PAGE ON THE ECOSYSTEMS, BIODIVERSITY AND MANAGEMENT REVISION PAGE
Climatic
Equator rainfall all year- Reason =doesn’t tilt much from the sun
Tropics Containing desert
Chrcteristics of hot desert
Temp above 30ºC
Less than 250mm rainfall per year
Plant have water storing features and extensive root systems
Describe the Distribution of hot deserts
15-30º North+South of the equator
Describe dish tips of tropical grasslands
Found between tropics between +23.5 and -23.5
Souht America , India, Australia
Describe the distribution of a boreal forest
Found at highest latitudes
Found in Canada, Norway, Russia, Sweden
Distribution of temperate Grasslands
Grassland biome found +30º
Distribution of Tundra
•Far North and south between 60-75º
Arctic , Finland Alaska and places close to the North Pole
Factors affecting distribution of biomes
Local
Areas behind mountains gets wet as air rises to go over the mountains when it moves in from the coast it cools- higher go colder gets so water vapour confesses over mountain
Colder on mountains- every 100m 1ºC colder this is because as air rises pressure decreases lower pressure at high altitudes= Temp to be colder at top of mountain
Soil- if soil doesn’t let water drain thorough it, the ecosystem will be swampy of marshy
Climactic
Equator rainfall all year- few seasons equator doesn’t tilt much from sun so same temp hapapesn to be good temp for evaporations clouds get haevay rain falls
Deserts in tropics- warm air rises from equator here it is hot, falls on the north+south tropics little moisture is left = rain shadow that gets little rainfall
Hotter in summer and older in summer in middle continents- canter of contentment hottter in summer and colder in winter beauve - sea warms coastal areas in winter and cools them in summer - can cause desert in middle of continent
Inter tropical convergence zone- colder air from north meats warm air from south and they mix= rainfall
= months with seasons
Brings about tropic grasslands in summer but dry in winter
What is The biosphere
Combined portions of the plant which all life exists including land water and atmospehree(hydrosphere, atmosphere lithosphere= biosphere)
Uses from Biosphere
Medicine
St. John wort plant helps with depression
Periwinkle plants used to treat leukaemia
Quinine does from bark and is used as a painkiller
Vitamin C- vital for health and found n oranges
Food
Fish and meat
Natural vegetation can be replaced with wheat and rice
Susatainable harvesting of fruits and berries
Raw Materials
Timber for construction
Bamboo for scalloping
Nature reserves provide resources for echos tourism
Rubber comes room trees and makes tyres
Wood pulp makes paper
Ways the biosphere is exploited
Water
The huge demand for water around the world means other parts of biosphere are deprived such as the Hamoon Wetlands in Iran , there with a combination of drought, population growth , dam-building in neighbouring Afghanistan and wasteful irrigation have caused wetlands to dry up
Biofuel
Valuable alternative to fossil fuels as they provide renewable energy.Commerical production of biofuel = areas devoted to biofuel instead of crop= deforestations for example in Malaysia and Indonesia there has been a sharp increase in the number of Orangutans dying linked to mass biofuel production this effect biodiversity
Mineral Resources
Not part of Biosphere but increasing demand for them= Impacts on the biosphere
. An example is mountain top removal mining in which coal is mined by removing the tops of mountain to access to coal seams. This type of mining was developed in the Alppalachichn mountains in the east f the USA
What is The Nutrient Cycle
The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of matter
Gersmehl’s model what is shows
Biomass biggest store
Nutrients come in by soil due to weathering or rainfall
Nutrients are lost through surface runoff and leaching
The nutrients are transferred
Uptake by pants - leaves fallout - decomposition then the cycle repeats
Uk marine ecosystem general facts size etc
Cover an are 3.5 times that of Uk whole land
Made up i of two parts:
Inshore ecosystems- found close to the shore and are very important for reaction ad tourism
Offshore ecosystems are found away from the shoreline and are important for commercial fishing and energy production
How the Uk marine Ecosystems are used
Fishing
Energy:Oil
Energy:Wind
Tourism
Human Activites and damage to marine ecosystem
Overfishing- reduces fish pop
Construction of deep water ports
Eutrophication- caused mainly by fertilisers being washed into sea from farmlands eventually kill aquatic life or makes it uninhabitable
Marine cables carry 95% of the world’s digital info - man made structures
=disturbances
Bats noise and water pollution
Litter
WInfarms- noise pollution creates a frequency which is uncomfortable for dolphins
Economic development- reduces coasta features that are used by aquatic life nd wildlife. Destroying habitats or essential needs
Sea Empress oil spill
15th feb 1996
Milford in Pembrokeshire
72,000 tonnes of light crude iiil escaped
7,000 dead of oiled birds wer tokens
35 sssi
Holiday resort of Temby were left covered
120 miles of Welsh coastline contaminated
Clean up operation cost £60m
Trf- why they have less nutrients
Biomass absorbs them up quickly so many species they compete
When was gersmhel model created
1976
Where are Trf found
In tropics
Ecmpe Bril
Republic of Congo
DRC Indonesia
What is a Food web
A network of food chains by which energy and nutrients are passed from one species to another. Essentially who eats who
What is a Food chain?
A series of steps by which energy is obtained and used by living ecostymetesm
Trf Abiotic factors
Soil
Low nutrients variety of species can grow as not outcompeting by a dominant lager species, nutrients absorbed quickly
Rainfall
Lots of rainfall means growing can happen need water = need moisture for decomposition
Warm
Speeds up photosynthesis also decomposition happens quickly
Adaptations of plants that live in tropical rainforests
Drip tips- remove excess water in conditions of over 2000mm of precipitation
Buttress roots- wide and thick=stabilise tree
Waxy leaves- stop water infiltrating leaves and rotting them
Tall straight tree trunk- grow straight towards the light to compete with other species
Epiphytes-sink roots into a host plant son they do not need to sun roots to ground
Layer of Trf
Emergents- 40m highest trees , huge leaf cover for photosynthesis home to moneys and birds
Canopy Layer- 70% of species are here - 30m
Under canopy - vines etc here lianas and creepers
Shrub layer- anphiabian -poison dart frog
Forest floor and litter layer - not too much litter as decomposes quickly
Changes to biodiversity due to climate change in Trf
Temp similar all year a slight change has caused specifies to not function with fluctuations
As conditions become drier and warmer other plant species suited to new conditions would spread out and outcompete
Changes to function of Trf due to climate change
Less vegetation cover= when it rains, surface runoff will increase because of reduction in filtration = more dediment Claire d into drainage system polluting th water
\
Direr frost emits more cis thank soaks up , if dairy forest burn then Moore co2 emitted
Changes to structure of Trf due to climate change
Most tree drop leaves when dry to avoid water loss
Trees have deep rots to reach groundwater if lesss die
No canopy if in dry season + tick underbrush ca grow this is a problem as it can block more light when caniopy grows which makes plants beneath dir
Causes of deforestation in Trf
17% of Amzn rainforest lost
Logging- logging can be selective targeting high value wood - clearing forest destroys habitats
Road building- the trans amazonian highway opened up large parts of the frost & cleared tens- destruction of habitats- pollution - noise chemical air 1700km
Mineral extra to - clear rainforest ad minerals suc as manganese’s ,nickel ,tin cobalt
Commercial farming - deforestation to have places for fields for grain and cattle
Settlement an d pop goeth - people migrating to forest looking for work
Shaty toens pop has grown from 1154,000 in 2010 to 220,000 in 2012
Ubstinece famrinh - slash and burn to grow crops when nutrients gone and excuahstd move somewhere else
Energy development - hep dams created which end up flooding area if lad
Methods of sustainable management of Trf
Selective logging— only chopping doe, some trees e.g old or expensive ones
Euducation- teaching people about the impacts of deforestation- rainforest conserved as peoples re more aware
Replanting- new tresss palanted to peel e old ones- more trees for people to use ]
Reducing demand for hardwood- strategies to reduce demand for hardwood e.g banning sae - fewer tees species ae cut down
Ecotourism- tourism that doesn’t harm the environment - provides source of income- not as many people log+farm= reduces deforestation and reduction of biodiversity
Causes little harm to the environment
What is sustainable management
Meets the needs of current populations without compsriosmisng the needs for future generations
The 4 layers in deciduous woodlands
Canopy - TALALE RTREESE OAK CHESTNIT
Sub canopy - MORE DIVERSE SHRUB LAYER. Wildlife- mall birds feeding off insects and berries squirrels
Herb layer -lasts such. S BRMABLES, BLUEBELLS, WILD GARLIC
Ground layer - mosses lead litter foxes , deer
Solid infectious woodland
Rich of nutrients few species so 1 species dominate - less rainfall less leaching
Deep root system
Good services TRF
Chop tress= firewood
Slices- our is resctration
Fuel
250 million visits a day to woodland
Threats to deciduous woodlands
Climate change
Seed germination needs to be Cole/ mild if warmer in winter this means the germination wont happens
Increased risk of drought=frost fires
Also species not adapted to survive
Economic- deforestation
Timber extraction= fuel for construction
Farming - e fore station for cattle etc in last 100 year 7% of woodland ha been reduced
Urbanisation- 240,000 new houses need built a ear to keep up with demand
New Forest
Found south of the Uk near Southampton and Bournemouth
175,000 people m;ove here
Majority abated by frosty commission
Cr parks toilets
Accessible by train and roads
Narrow roads blocks road
Yet parking people park on verges
How can conflicts be fixed
Bins for litter
Signage about animals
Ways the neforest forestry communion help
Courses- frosty commission has courses for private woodland owners and support volunteered in conservation work
Visitor controls
National par pr,ayes sustainable use of New Forest by encouraging visitors not to damage t and organist=it tourism to benefit lack Pepe
Susiatiable tranport schemes — abodes ca paled
Awareness raising-‘ 5 ways to love the forest’ leaflet
Green leaf tourism scheme - local business signed up to use local products
Conservation schmes: are funded by the National park authors
Lynhurst village in new forest
In mode of New forst it is a tourist honey pot site - supermarkets near by remote - local businesses
