Land Cover Change Flashcards
Definition of environment
the living and non-living elements of Earth’s surface and atmosphere, including human induced changes.
Definition of ecosystem
a community of living organisms and their interactions with the non-living features of an environment.
What are the 4 main components of an ecosystem?
Abiotic, producers, consumers and decomposers
What are abiotic components?
non-living components
What are biotic components?
living components
What are consumers?
heterotrophic organisms
What are producers?
autotrophic organisms e.g. plants
what are decomposers?
organisms which breakdown dead organic matter and waste matter e.g. fungi
what are natural biomes?
a community of life forms adapted to a large natural area & haven’t had sustained, direct human interactions
what are anthropogenic biomes?
biomes that are the result of sustained direct human interactions with ecosystems
what is land cover?
the biophysical cover on the Earth’s surface
what is land cover change?
the changes that have taken place in natural environments due to a variety of natural and human induced causes
what are some types of land cover change?
agriculture, urban and natural vegetation/global forests
define biodiversity
the number, type and variety of biotic organisms found within an environment or ecosystem
define biodiversity loss
when there is a decrease in the number, type and variety of living organisms within an environment or ecosystem
define climate change
the long term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods of time (decades to millions of years)
define sustainability
meeting the needs of current and future generations through simultaneous environmental, social and economic adaptations and improvements
list the processes of land cover change
deforestation, expansion/intensification of agriculture, mining and growth of urban settlement
define deforestation
the removal or clearing of forests, generally for uses such as agriculture and urban development
types of deforestation
clear cutting and slash-and-burn
define remote sensing
the science of obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, usually from aircraft or satellites
how is world population growth impacting land cover change (LCC)
- an increase in demand for urban land use and land required for agriculture to feed the growing population.
- urban areas have more than doubled in size since 1992
define affluence
having an abundant supply of money, goods or wealth
list the impacts of LCC
- changes to water cycle
- soil erosion
- loss of habitat & biodiversity
- loss of ecosystem services
- degradation of aquatic & marine
environments - urban heat islands
define urban heat islands
the warming of temperatures in urban areas due to human made environments
what causes urban heat islands?
infrastructure absorbing and re-emitting the suns heat, making urban areas 1-3˚C higher than rural areas.
why are urban areas more vulnerable to urban heat islands?
many artificial surfaces:
- tarmac
- less trees and artificial vegetation
- plastic grass
- dark materials
define mosaic burning
the use of cool burns (regular, relatively controlled, low intensity burns) to clear native vegetation
