Ecosystems under threat (theme 3) Flashcards
Why is the rain forest important?
-3/4 of all medicine
-building materials and fuel
-Water
-Regulates climate
3 reasons why humans create a loss in biodiversity
-Energy
-Minerals
-Water
5 ways how humans create a loss in biodiversity
- Islandisation
- Pollution
- Over-harvesting
- Habitat destruction
- Introduction of alien species
What does the biosphere do?
-regulates compisition of the atmosphere
-Regulates hydrological cycle
-Maintains soil health
Why is deforestation happening so quickly?
-Cattle ranching
-Mining
-Logging
-Farming
-Palm oil
Economical impacts of deforestation
-Tourisum can be damaged if too much deforestation
-Creates jobs when opening up the mining industry
Environmental impacts of deforestation
-Fewer trees mean less carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis.
Fewer trees mean that soil is bound together less tightly and that soil erosion is more likely to happen. This increases the probability of flooding and makes the soil less nutrient-rich
Examples of Global actions to protect the rain forest?
REDD and CITES
Advantages of REDD
-Pays countries that reduce their deforestation so gives them an alternate reason for their loss of income
-The scheme increases number of trees therfore biodiversity and forest
-Supported by united nations
Disadvantages of REDD
-Countries only payed if emissions have fallen
-REDD does not monitor if the changes are sustainable or not
Advantages of CITES
-Protects 5,800 species of animals
-A global treaty so everyone has to abide by it
-Can limit trade of certain plant species between countries
Disadvantages of CITES
-Not all nations have signed the agreement
-Only regulates plant trade between countries
Deforestation case study: Causes of deforestation in the solomon islands
-Loggers for tropical wood
-60% of economy comes from this
-
Deforestation case study: Impacts of tourisum
-Waste from tourists gets into water and damages the coral reef depleting biodiversity and food sources
Deforestation case study: What is ecotourisum
Money from tourists from rich countries pay money wich goes into schemes to help environments
Deforestation case study: What is Sustainable logging?
Preserved area of forest where you can only cut 1 tree at a time so there is a higher price for lumber
Deforestation case study: What is Debt for nature?
LIC goverments protect rainforest in return for HIC paying there dbt
Benefits of elephants in the savannah
Elephents eat a lot of food but dont take up much nutrients so dung is nutrient dense
Why does poaching occur?
-Ivory to sell ( high demand in china)
-Corrupt goverment paying to piach
Ways to stop poaching?
-Camera in horn and GPS
-Enforce legeslation
-Education
what is desertification?
Spreading of deserts resulting in land becoming unproductive
Physical causes of desertification?
Climate change leads to less rainfall as increase in temp means more evaporation than condensation leading drought and causing vegetation to die
Human causes of desertification?
-Increase in animals being kept leads to overgrazing and vegetation being eaten
-Population increases causes greater demand for wood and fuel meaning trees are cut down and vegetation removed
What is the great green wall and how it prevents desertification?
A wall of trees across africa to stop the desert spreading
Prevents desertification by stopping desert expansion by creating vegetation aswell as shade so less water is evaporated so other plants can grow
