environment Flashcards
what is a monoculture
growing single variety of plants( crops) in a large area
negative effects of monoculture
low biodiversity
increase in the population of pest of the crop
destroying habitats for animal
the negative impact of intensive livestock production
spread of diseases
the waste can pollute the land or the river
what is the usual factor for famine
weather
effect of deforestation
if the tree is cut, the soil under will be exposed to rain.
this will make soil thin.
it can be washed away and this will cause soil erosion
as well as a flood if they get into the river.
less rainfall because not many trees will absorb and tranpirate them
give two examples of greenhouse gases
carbon dioxide and methane
how does the greenhouse effect happen
shortwave radiation from the sun hits the ground
the ground absorb and emitted out longwave radiation
greenhouse gas will reflect back the longwave radiation make the earth get heated again
what is the main source of production of carbon dioxide
burning fossil fuels
what we could do to reduce methane production
recycle rubbish more because the decay of rubbish creates methane
which two gases cause acid rain
nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide
how does acid rain affect plant’s growth
it washes out ions which are essential nutrients for the plant. also difficult for plant to absorb nutrients in the soil
how does acid rain affect river
ions will wash into the river, some ions are poisonous to the organism in the liver ( aluminium ion)
water will be acidic
what will be the usual cause of eutrophication
fertilisers and untreated sewage
describe the process of eutrophication
the (nitrate) fertiliser make the algae grow fast
algae cover the top surface of the river
light can’t be reached the plants under water
can’t do photosynthesis so dies.
less plant will do photosynthesis so oxygen level decrease and also the bacteria will decompose the dead plant, this will also reduce oxygen
the fish in the lake will lack oxygen so it dies, bacteria will need even more oxygen to decompose them
eventually, all the living organisms in the river will die due to a lack of oxygen
what is a DDT
a pesticide that kills insects
how does DDT spread to the whole food chain
animal placed in the higher place of the food chain will have a greater concentration of DDT
for example, the insect gets DDT and get eaten by shrimps
shrimps are eaten by fish
fish eaten by bird
DDT can’t be break down so it will compile in the organism
what is non-biodegradable mean
it cannot be broken down by decomposers
effect of plastic in the environment
they may harm animal by choking them or they stuck in their stomach which can’t be digested so animal dies from lack of nutrient because they cant eat food
what are sustainable resources
a resource that is produced rapidly as it is removed from the environment
purpose of sewage treatment
remove harmful micro-organisms in the sewage that can harm the environment and people
process of sewage treatment
grit and sand is removed by the screen
solid waste is removed in first settling tanks
then it goes to the aeration tank, where aerobic microorganisms grow and feed on the organic matter
then it goes to the second settling tank, where microorganism sink and returned back to the aeration tank
the pure water now is sent to the river
the sludge is passed to a digester so it can produce methane which can be used as a fuel
what is sustainable development
providing needs for the human without harming the environment
factors that endanger species
hunting, habitat destruction, pollution, introduced species
way to keep up a particular species of fish
breed large number of them in hatcheries and then release them
