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geography > Ecosystems, biodiversity and management > Flashcards

Ecosystems, biodiversity and management Flashcards

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1
Q

Distributions and characteristics of tundra

A
  • Canada
  • Temperature range between -34 & 12
  • Permafrost (permanently frozen ground)
  • Plant species (mosses, lichen) are low to ground & have small leaf structures so they can repel the cold temperatures.
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2
Q

Distributions and characteristics of Boreal forest

A
  • Russia
  • Temperature range between -10 & 15
  • Trees have a thick bark to protect them from cold
  • Evergreen trees which allows growth to start when weather warms up
  • Needle leaves to slow down transpiration.
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3
Q

Distributions and characteristics of tropical rainforests

A
  • Brazil
  • Temperature between 27 & 30
  • Total annual rainfall is 2200 mm
  • Poor quality soil
  • Animals such as sloths and howler monkeys
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4
Q

Distributions and characteristics of temperate forests

A
  • USA
  • Temperature between 4 & 17
  • Trees (mainly oak) lose their leaves in winter to reduce transpiration
  • Animals such as rabbits & deer
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5
Q

Distributions and characteristics of hot deserts

A
  • Australia
  • Temperature between 30 and 35
  • Very unpredictable rainfall but usually very low
  • Only plants are short shrubs (prickly pear cactus) which store water in its spongy tissue
  • Animals like camels which store water
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6
Q

Distributions and characteristics of tropical grassland

A
  • Kenya
  • Temperature between 25 and 30
  • Rain is concentrated in 6-8 months of year but rest of year there’s droughts
  • Few trees found in the area like acacia tree which survives due to its thick trunk which holds water.
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7
Q

Distributions and characteristics of temperate grassland

A
  • Argentina
  • Temperature between 10 and 18
  • Total annual rainfall is 500 mm most falling in summer nights
  • Trees aren’t usually found here
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8
Q

How does climate affect the distribution of ecosystems?

A
  • Different ecosystems have different climatic requirements
  • Tropical rainforests require warmth and moisture for plants to survive
  • Boreal forests are found in areas that have a short growing season and are made up of trees that do not lose their leaves.
  • Deciduous trees will not survive in these areas as the trees won’t have time to regrow their leaves
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9
Q

How does altitude affect the distribution of ecosystems?

A

Altitude impacts the type of vegetation because,as the land is higher:

  • The temperature decreases
  • The soil becomes thinner & contains less organic matter
  • Below sea level is marine ecosystem
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10
Q

How does soil type affect the distribution of ecosystems?

A

Soils are important because different types of plants require different soils

  • Boreal forests have acidic soil because of the leaf litter
  • Deciduous forests have a more nutrient rich litter because of the leaf fall every autumn
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11
Q

What is the biosphere?

A

The part of the earth & its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life

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12
Q

How does the biosphere provide resources for people?

A
  • Oil - used as a fuel to produce electricity and to power engines
  • Wood - used as building material or as fuel to provide heat
  • Periwinkle - used in medicine to treat leukemia
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13
Q

How is the biosphere exploited for energy?

A
  • Oil - used to power engines in transport and to produce electricity
  • Coal first used to heat homes but later used to produce electricity {65% of coal is used for energy production}
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14
Q

How is the biosphere exploited for water?

A

Water is finite

  • Domestic uses
  • Irrigation (37% of all water in usa)
  • Industry
  • Transportation
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15
Q

How is the biosphere exploited for minerals?

A
  • Gold & silver used for jewelry

- Sand, gravel used for pavemments

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16
Q

Distributions and characteristics of moorlands

A
  • Found in highland areas with heavy rainfall
  • Mainly rough grasslands and pear bogs
  • Plants include heathers
  • Animals include deer, foxes
17
Q

Distributions and characteristics of heathlands

A

-Found in lowland areas of the uk (cornwall)
-Hares,rabbits
Plants include short shrubs

18
Q

Distributions and characteristics of woodland

A
  • Found all across uk (lake district)
  • Deciduous trees in england & NI and coniferous trees in scotland
  • 12% of land is woodland
19
Q

Distributions and characteristics of wetland

A
  • Ponds.streams,rivers & vast waterlogged land
  • Due to location and fertility of land used farming
  • Plants include reeds & bog masses
20
Q

What goods and services do marine ecosystems provide?

A
  • Oil,natural gas & renewable energy
  • Seafood
  • Sport and recreation
  • Ports through which 90% of imports and exports travel
  • Sand and gravel for construction
  • Absorbs vast amount of CO2 and releases oxygen
21
Q

How are human activities causing problems for marine ecosystems?

A
  • Overfishing

- Extraction of natural gas and oil

22
Q

Abiotic characteristics of the tropical rainforest ecosystem

A
  • Total annual rainfall - 2200mm
  • Temperature - range between 27 & 30
  • Poor quality soil - nutrients washed down
23
Q

Biotic characteristics of the tropical rainforest ecosystem

A
  • Trees in the canopy have small leaves to prevent water loss through transpiration
  • Hummingbird lives in canopy with strong flight muscles
  • Toucans live in the canopy
24
Q

Give an example of the food web

A

Producer - Banana tree
Primary consumer - monkey
Secondary consumer - frog
Tertiary consumer - jaguar

25
Q

What is the nutrient cycle

A

The movement of chemical compounds from the nonliving environment to the living environment and back again

26
Q

Example of nutrient cycle

A
  • When trees lose their leaves they fall to the forest floor and quickly decompose because of the hot and damp conditions.
  • The resultant litter provides nutrients for the tree to grow
27
Q

Where are the majority of nutrients stored in the rainforest?

A
  • In the biomass with small amounts stored in the litter and soil
  • This is due to the heavy rainfall which leaches nutrients down to the soil where plants cannot reach them.
28
Q

Why does the tropical rainforest have high biodiversity?

A
  • Because of the hot and wet conditions provided by the climate
  • Due to this & the consistent hours of sunlight there are very few limiting factors which allow a great variety of plants to live
29
Q

How have plants adapted to the rainforest?

A

-Large trees haave buttress

30
Q

How have plants adapted to the rainforest?

A
  • Tropical trees have developed huge buttress roots which give them stability because of their great height
  • Plants on the forest floor have large leaves due to the lack of light and have drip tips to help the shed rainwater quickly
31
Q

How have animals adapted to the rainforest?

A
  • Hummingbird has strong flight wings to help hover in the air
  • Modified limbs and beaks
  • Camouflage
32
Q

What goods and services do the tropical rainforest?

A
  • Coffee is grown from rainforest. 25 million people globally make their living from the growth and sale of coffee
  • 120 prescription medicines sold globally are derived directly from rainforest plants. The blueprint for aspirin was derived from extracts of willow trees
  • Timber; wood from trees like mahogany are used for furniture
  • Recreation: ziplining
33
Q

How climate change presents a threat to the structure,

functioning and biodiversity of tropical rainforests?

A
  • Climate change presents a threat because the structure and function rely on it
  • The humidity and vast amount of transpiration means that much of the rainfall is recycled by the forest itself.
  • If trees are felled, there will be fewer trees to provide water through transpiration and so less rainfall occurs
  • Climate change means that Eastern amazon will receive 20% less rainfall by 2030 which will cause temperature to rise in the area which will cause less biodiversity as some species may not be able to adapt.
34
Q

Economic causes of deforestation in tropical rainforests

Agriculture

A
  • Rainforests are cleared for agriculture as a result of nutrient rich soils
  • After few years, the nutrients decrease an huge amounts of fertilizer is needed - eutrophication
  • Land becomes unrofitabe and is abandoned or left for cattle ranchers
35
Q

Economic causes of deforestation in tropical rainforests

Resource extraction

A
  • Resources have been extracted from rainforests for many years
  • Goverments such as Brazil’s have sold the rights to mine minerals like gold ti develop their country
  • The mining of gold can release mercury into water systems causing serious health issues for locals
  • The indigenous population are not consulted and are evicted from the land
36
Q

Social causes of deforestation in tropical rainforests

Population presssure

A
  • Main reason for deforestation is as a result of overpopulation
  • Biggest population increase in Brazil is in the Amazon - 10 cities doubled their population from 2000-2010 increasing to 25 million
  • Rainforests are being cleared to make way for new cities to house the growing population

geography (7 decks)

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