GCSE 1.B - The Living World ( Ecosystems & Trop RainF ) Flashcards
Definition
Ecosystem
A natural system made up of plants, animals and the environment.
Definition
Abiotic, Biotic
Non- living components, Living components.
Producers
Producers convert energy from the environment (mainly sunlight) into glucose.
e.g. Plants that produce theor energy from photosynthesis
Consumers
Consumers get energy from the sugars produced by the producers (they eat producers)
e.g A pond snail that eats plants
Decomposers
Decomposers break down plant and animal material and return the nutrients ack to the soil
E.g. Bacteria and fungi
Food chain / web
A food chain shows the direct lines between producers and consumers in a direct line. A food web is a more complex, weblike version of this.
What are the 2 main sources of nutrients?
Rainwater washing chemicals out of the atmosphere and weathered rock releasing nutrients into the soil
What is an example of a local scale ecosystem?
A pond, hedgerow or woodland
What are global scale ecosystems called?
Biomes
What are some local scale changes to ecosystems?
Hedgerow removal - to increase size of fields
Draining ponds
Chopping down trees
Eutrophication
Invasive species
Extreme weather
What is Eutrophication
The process in which a body of water becomes enriches in dissolved nutrients that stimulate the growth of aquatic plant life, usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen
one cause of eutro is farming fertiliser running into bodies of water
what is a main global scale change to ecosystems?
Climate change
how does draining ponds effect the environment
It can kill aquatic plants and mammals
How can wood chopping affect the environment?
It can ruin habitats for birds and affect the nutrient cycle
What are some of the things biome distribution is determined by?
Ocean Currents
Winds
Distribution of the land and sea
Equator (moisture and temperature)
Global atmospheric circulation
Where are tropical rainforests found?
Central and south america,south east asia, central africa and northern australia
What is the climate in a tropical rainforest like?
warm an wet, lots of rainfall and high temperatures consistanty throughout the year
what is leaching?
when rain washes the nutrients out of the soil, they go into the bedrock
Why is there high rainfall In tropical rainforest areas?
The global atmospheric circulation causes and area of low pressure to form at the equator, rising air creates clouds and heavy rain.
Why is there high temperature in tropical rainforests?
Because the sun is overhead for the most of the time
What are tropical rainforests soil like?, Why?
Infertile - lacking in nutrients
the frequent rain leaches the soil
old, deep and red
why are rainforest soils red?
due to the oxidisation of calcium and potassium
in a tropical rainforest, where are the mass of the nutrients held?
In the Biomass
What is a fresh water pond bottom like?
There is little oxygen or light but plently of sheler from rotting plants or stones. Decomposers and scavengers live here.
What is fresh pond mid-water like?
Animals breather through gills or skin. fish are the main predators. food is found on the surface or in the pond
What is above a fresh water ponds surface like?
Birds and animals breathe oxygen. food is found in or on the water, or in the margins.
What is a fresh water ponds surface like?
Plenty of oxygen and light. animals breathe trough gills, lungs or skin.
What is a fresh water pond margin like?
plenty of oxygen and light here. plently of shelter for plants and insects, for small animals to eat.
What are some fresh water pond producers?
algae / microscopi plants
detritus
What are sone fresh water pond consumers?
midge larva ( primary)
Great diving beetle (secondary)
fish (teritary)
heron (quanternery)
what are some decomposers?
fungi and bacteria
Why are decomposers important in nutrient cycling?
the break down the dead plant and animal matter so the nutrients in them can be re used
Causes fo climate change
Deforestation - Amazon/ malaysia
Greenhouse gases - CH4 Methane/ CO2
How does deforestation affect climate change?
It creates a loos of bio diversity and a loss of carbonstore
What are some impacts of climate change?
Animals dying out - polar bears
sea level rising / extreme weather events - forest fires
What are the three stores in the nutrient cycle?
Biomass, Soil, Litter
What is litter
(nutrient cycling)
Dead biomass
How do nutrients join or leave the soil?
(not involving other stores)
They can enter from weathered rocks
exit through leaching
How do nutrients join or leave the litter
( not involving other stores)
they can enter through rain
They leave through stores
How do nutrients from the biomass go into the litter
as leaves die they fallout into the litter
What does decomposition need?
heat and moisture
How do the nutrients int eh soil get transeferred into the biomass?
through plant uptake
What are biomes?
Large scale ecosystem
What things can we do to describe distribution
Lines of long and lat
continents
countries
points of compass
What do coniferous trees do?
they dont loose their leaves
What is the distribution fo tropical rainforests like?
they are between the tropics of cancer and capricorn close to the equator
Examples of interdependence
Leaf cutter ants - the ants cut leafs an bring them back to their nests, wait for them to mold, then et them
Agouti - Only animal that can open the case of brazil nut. they bury exess nuts the cant eat like a squirrel, this lets the trees re grow
How much forest was cleared in malaysia in 2018?
145000 Ha
Causes of deforestation
Dam Building for HEP
Subsistance farming
Commercial farming - cows, palm, soya
Settlement an regrowth
mineral extraction
logging
What are emergents?
trees that emerge from the others - higher
What are some characteristics Biomass in the rainforest have adapted to have
Butress roots
emergents
drip tips
smooth bark
ephylights
lianas
butresses
What are epiphytes?
They can live on branches high in the sunlight
What are lianas
Woody creepers rooted to the ground but carried by trees into the canopy where they have their leaves and flowers
Types of adaptations
Clamoflage
mimicry
limited diet
poisonous
reduction in size
changing of habits
What is an example of a camoflage adaptation?
Green eyed tree frog - flaps on skin that resemble bark o trees
What is an example of a mimicry adaptation?
Katydid - (cricket) mimics a stinging wasp
what is an example of a limited diet adaptation?
toucans only eat fruits that other species cannot access
What are the main threats to plants, what can the do to combat these?
being eaten - spikes/thorns/poisons
heavy rainfall - waxy surface/driptip
low nutrients - butress roots/ become carniferous
soil erosion
the removal of soil by wind and rain
What are some ABIOTIC threats to rainforest diversity?
Water Pollution
Deforestation
Climate change
How is Climate Change a threat to rainforest Biodiversity?
Water is returned to the air by evapotranspiration. Rediced rates of evaporarion by deforestation may cause climate drying, this may reduce biodiversity and alter rainfall patterns.
How is Deforestation a threat to rainforest Biodiversity? Use statistics
Over 80,000 ha of rainforest are burnt down everyday. 20% of the amazon rainforest has been destroyed. This creates a devastating impact on the ecosystem and levels of biodiversity
How is Water Pollution a threat to rainforest Biodiversity?
Minign of Gold and other metals can result in Pollutants reaching rivers, killling wildlife, reducing aquatic biodiversity.
What are some CAUSES of Deforestation in Malaysia?
Settlement and Population Growth
Mineral Extraction
Logging
Commercial Farming
Rates of Deforestation In Malaysia
In 2018, 145000a of primary forest was cut down. Between 202 and 2018 Malaysia lost almost 16% of its primary forest
This was for logging, oil palm plantations and settlement
Why is Settlement and Population growth a cause of Deforestation In Malaysia?
In Malaysia people are moving away from overcrowded cities to live in a less populated areas, clearig forest to create living space
-> Between 1956 and the 1980s 15000 ha of forest was cleared
Why is Mineral Extraction a cause of deforestation in Malaysia?
People drill for oil and gas, then forest needs to be cleared for their transortation to ports
Tin mining and smelting
Why is Logging a cause of Deforestation in Malaysia?
Malaysia is one of the world’s largest exporters of tropical wood
Unhealthy ways of logging such as clear felling or slash and burn are a major cause of deforestation.
There are heathier options such as selective logging - has been replacing logging recently
Slash and Burn
Using fire to clear land.
+ these fires create valuble nutrients that help plants to grow.
_ these fires can grow out of controll, destroying large ares of forest.
Clear felling
Huge swatches of trees cut down
Why is commercial farming a cause of Deforestation in Malaysia
One of the world’s biggest importers/exporters of palm oil - food products
Plantation workers receive tenyear tax inscentives and this lucrative business has resulted in huge areas of forest being cleared
What are the impacts of Deforestation in Malaysia?
Economic development ( losses and gains )
Contribution to climate change
Soil erosion
Why is Soil erosion an impact of deforestation in Malaysia?
The Deforestation exposes the soil to torrential tropical rainfall, as the tree canopy acted like an umberella, protecting the soil from the full force of the rain and the tree roots helped to hold the soil together.
-> Also means the soil can easily become loose and fall away
What economic GAINS are an Impact of deforestation in Malaysia?
- Development of land for mining, farming and energy creates jobs - construction, farming, supply support industries
- Deforestation companies will pay taxes to log - used to improve public services
- Products aka palm oil and rubber provides raw materials for processing industries.
- HEP provides cheap and plentiful energy - Bakun Dam in Sarawak
- Extracted minerals are very valuble for export - EXT in Borneo
What economic LOSSES are an Impact of deforestation in Malaysia?
Pollution of water and increasingly dry climate - water shortages
Slash and burn out of controll - loose valuable forest
Rising temps could devastate some forms of farming - growing tea, fruit, and flower
Rainforest toursism decrease
1.
Why is contribution to climate change GLOBALLY an Impact of deforestation in Malaysia?
- Defo reduces the amount of CO2 beign absorbed by trees
- Incrreases emission Of CO2 by burning
This increases the effectiveness of the greenhouse effect, promoting additional global warming
Why is contribution to climate change LOCAL an Impact of deforestation in Malaysia?
The removal of trees reduces rates of evapotranspiration, making air less moist, and the climate dryer
The DEFO in Parak and Kedan through 1988 to 2017 ahve been associated with an increase in mean surface temperatures
what are the values of tropical rainforests?
Resources
indigenous people living sustainably
Medicinal use
environment
ENVIRONMENT
What are the 4 reasons why the Rainforest is valuble to the Environment?
Climate Change
Climate
Biodiversity
Water
Why is Biodiversity one of the reasons a tropical rainforest is valuble environmentally?
Tropical rainforests contain about half of all plant and animal species in the world
*
How are rainforests usefull to combat climate change?
Rainforests absorb and store carbon dioxide, a gas that is partially responsible for climate change
Why is Water one of the reasons a tropical rainforest is valuble environmentally?
The rainforest holds imprtant stores of water
20% of the worlds fresh water comes from the amazon basin
Water supports indigenous tribal peoples agriculture, transportation, food provision and HE power
Why is balancing the Climate both locally and globally, one of the reasons a tropical rainforest is valuble environmentally?
Through evapotranspiration, Tropical rainforests help to moderate the local climate
Globally, Rainforests have an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing it as its trees grow
Responsible for producing 20% of the worlds oxygen
Why is Resources one of the reasons a tropical rainforest is valuble?
trees provide valuble hard woods - mahogany and teak
The Biomass provides Nuts, fruits and rubber e.g Avocado and brazil nuts and passion fuit
Mineral resources - Gold, tin, hydrocarbons
Why is Indigenous people living sustainably one of the reasons a tropical rainforest is valuble?
50 million indigenous people live in the worlds tropical rainforests, In the Amazon there are 400 seperate indigenous groups living there
They live a Dependant, sustainable lifestyle in the forest.
The Achuar people in the Peruvian Amazon
About 11,000 people living in small communities, they rely ib the rainforests for their buildings, food and fuel
Why is Medicinal use one of the reasons a tropical rainforest is valuble?
Around 25% of the drugs used today are derived from rainforest plants and animals
WILD YAMS - contain cortisone, used in birth controll pills
VAMPIRE BAT SALIVA - helps prevent heart attacks
LEECH SALIVA - dissolves blood clots
Why should we Sustainably manage rainforests?
To ensure that rainforests remain a lasting resource for future gens
To allow valuble forest resources to be used without causing long-term danage to the environment
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
Selective logging and re-planting
The most damaging form of deforestation is clear felling - every tree is chopped down
This completely restroyes the ecosystem in those areas.
Re-planting trees and selecting the old ones to fell is sustainable and doesnt damage te environment
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
Conservation and education
Forests can be preserved in conservation areas e.g. national parks/ nature reserves.
these areas can be used for education, scientific reaserch and tourism
Large companies can support these in exchange to carry out scientififc research or the provision of raw materials
Guivadan
Guivadan is a swiss perfume company that works with Consevation International, and aims to protet 148,000 ha of rainforest in tthe Caura Basin, Venesuela
Local Aripao people are encouragd to harvest and market tonka beansm which have a caramel like smell and can be used in their perfume.
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
Ecotourism
Ecotourism aims to inftroduce people to the natural world, to benefit local communities and protect the environment for the future. This creates long term sustainable income instead of short term felling for income.
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
How are International Agreements aiding the conservation of rainforests?
Rainforests are now udnerstood to be of global importance. They absorb Carbon dioxide form the atmosphere, releasing oxygen and managing levels of humidity. International agreements have been made to help protect forests.
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
Hardwood Forestry- FSC
The Forest Stewardship Council Is an International organisation that promotes sustainable forestry.Products sourced from sustainably managed forests carry the FSC label
The FSC tries to educate Manufacturers and consumers about the need to buy hardwoods that have been sustainably sourced. It aims to reduce the demand for rare and valuable hardwoods
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
Debt Reduction
Some countries have borrowed money to finance economic development. Deforestation is normally a major way to help repay these debts, but at a huge environmental cose.
Recently some countries ( e.g. France and the USA ) and Organisations such as WWF and USAID have cancelled or reduced debts in an agreements to conseve rainforests
Known as “Debt for Nature”
Malaysia
What is an example of the impact of soil erosion?
Kuala Lumpur city has been involved in widespread forest clearence - lead to severe erosion, causing frequent landslides
E.g. In may, 2011, following heavy rain, a landslide devastated an orphanage in Kampung Gahal, killing 15 children
How much of Malaysia is tropical forest?
two thirds
