Ecosystems, biodiversity and management Flashcards
Distributions and characteristics of tundra
- 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.
Distributions and characteristics of Boreal forest
- 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.
Distributions and characteristics of tropical rainforests
- Brazil
- Temperature between 27 & 30
- Total annual rainfall is 2200 mm
- Poor quality soil
- Animals such as sloths and howler monkeys
Distributions and characteristics of temperate forests
- USA
- Temperature between 4 & 17
- Trees (mainly oak) lose their leaves in winter to reduce transpiration
- Animals such as rabbits & deer
Distributions and characteristics of hot deserts
- 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
Distributions and characteristics of tropical grassland
- 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.
Distributions and characteristics of temperate grassland
- Argentina
- Temperature between 10 and 18
- Total annual rainfall is 500 mm most falling in summer nights
- Trees aren’t usually found here
How does climate affect the distribution of ecosystems?
- 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
How does altitude affect the distribution of ecosystems?
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
How does soil type affect the distribution of ecosystems?
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
What is the biosphere?
The part of the earth & its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life
How does the biosphere provide resources for people?
- 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
How is the biosphere exploited for energy?
- 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}
How is the biosphere exploited for water?
Water is finite
- Domestic uses
- Irrigation (37% of all water in usa)
- Industry
- Transportation
How is the biosphere exploited for minerals?
- Gold & silver used for jewelry
- Sand, gravel used for pavemments
Distributions and characteristics of moorlands
- Found in highland areas with heavy rainfall
- Mainly rough grasslands and pear bogs
- Plants include heathers
- Animals include deer, foxes
Distributions and characteristics of heathlands
-Found in lowland areas of the uk (cornwall)
-Hares,rabbits
Plants include short shrubs
Distributions and characteristics of woodland
- Found all across uk (lake district)
- Deciduous trees in england & NI and coniferous trees in scotland
- 12% of land is woodland
Distributions and characteristics of wetland
- Ponds.streams,rivers & vast waterlogged land
- Due to location and fertility of land used farming
- Plants include reeds & bog masses
What goods and services do marine ecosystems provide?
- 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
How are human activities causing problems for marine ecosystems?
- Overfishing
- Extraction of natural gas and oil
Abiotic characteristics of the tropical rainforest ecosystem
- Total annual rainfall - 2200mm
- Temperature - range between 27 & 30
- Poor quality soil - nutrients washed down
Biotic characteristics of the tropical rainforest ecosystem
- 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
Give an example of the food web
Producer - Banana tree
Primary consumer - monkey
Secondary consumer - frog
Tertiary consumer - jaguar
What is the nutrient cycle
The movement of chemical compounds from the nonliving environment to the living environment and back again
Example of nutrient cycle
- 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
Where are the majority of nutrients stored in the rainforest?
- 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.
Why does the tropical rainforest have high biodiversity?
- 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
How have plants adapted to the rainforest?
-Large trees haave buttress
How have plants adapted to the rainforest?
- 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
How have animals adapted to the rainforest?
- Hummingbird has strong flight wings to help hover in the air
- Modified limbs and beaks
- Camouflage
What goods and services do the tropical rainforest?
- 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
How climate change presents a threat to the structure,
functioning and biodiversity of tropical rainforests?
- 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.
Economic causes of deforestation in tropical rainforests
Agriculture
- 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
Economic causes of deforestation in tropical rainforests
Resource extraction
- 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
Social causes of deforestation in tropical rainforests
Population presssure
- 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
