Living World Flashcards
What is biodiversity
The range of plants & animals in an ecosystem
What is an ecosystem
Natural system of plants, animals & their environment.
Can be as small as a tree or as large as a continent.
What are biotic components in an ecosystem
Living parts of ecosystem.
e.g. plants & animals.
What are abiotic components in an ecosystem
Non-living.
e.g. soil & water.
What is a biome
The large ecosystems on a global scale.
e.g. rainforest, desert, polar.
What is a food chain
Series of plants & animals, showing which eats which.
What is a food web
Network of connected food chains showing movement of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem.
What is interdependence in an ecosystem
The way that all plants & animals in an ecosystem rely on each other for survival.
What is nutrient cycling
The movement of chemicals used by plants and animals.
Nutrients come from rain or weathered rock.
What is an adaptation
A feature that a plant or animal has evolved to help live in their specific environment.
e.g. drip tips in rainforest.
What is a producer
Green plants that convert sunlight into energy and plant matter
What is a consumer
Animals that eats other living things to survive
What is the difference between a primary and secondary consumer
PRIMARY eat plants.
SECONDARY eat other animals.
What are decomposers
Things that break down dead plants & animals back into the soil.
e.g. earthworms or mushrooms.
Describe tropical rainforests
Found near the equator.
Hot and wet all year round.
Dense forests.
Describe a tundra biome
Above 60° North.
Very cold winters and short summers. Very dry.
Mosses, grasses & shrubs with permafrost underneath.
Describe a polar biome
Near north and south poles.
Extremely cold and mostly ice covered.
Describe hot deserts
Between 15° & 30° N and S.
Very hot in day but cold at night.
Very little rainfall.
Shrubs & cacti live in sandy soil.
What is an example of a small-scale UK ecosystem
Hedgerow
What happens if the hedgerow is trimmed in terms of the food chain
Hedgerow trimmed => fewer insect habitats => fewer small birds => fewer sparrow hawks
What happens if there is a hot, dry summer in terms of the food chain
Less plant growth => fewer berries => fewer small birds => fewer sparrow hawks
What are some animal adaptations in cold environments
Animals have thick fur or insulating fat e.g. polar bear.
Many animals hibernate e.g. Arctic squirrels OR migrate away e.g. Arctic terns.
What are some plant adaptations in cold environments
Plants are small to avoid the wind.
Plants have thick bark to protect them from cold.
Plants also grow for 50-60 days during summer e.g. Bearberry.
What animals are found in polar biomes
Not many:
Polar bears, penguins and sea creatures such as whales.
What animals are found in tundra biomes
Reindeer, wolves & arctic hares
What is the climate like in cold environments (tundra and polar)
Winters down to -20°C in Tundra.
-50°C in Polar.
What is the soil like in cold environments
Frozen for most of the year as permafrost.
Soil may thaw for a couple of months but is very waterlogged due to the frozen ground below.
What does waterlogged mean
Saturated with or full of water
What are the plants like in cold environments
There are some flowering plants e.g. bearberry.
Low trees & bushes in warmer areas.
Mosses & lichens on ground.
How does the ‘use of technology’ help to balance economic development and conservation in cold environments (houses)
Houses built either elevated or on gravel beds to stop melting
How does the ‘use of technology’ help to balance economic development and conservation in cold environments (pipes)
Pipes are raised so doesn’t melt the permafrost.
Allows caribou (reindeer) to migrate under it.
Able to slide during earthquakes.
^e.g. Alaskan oil pipeline carries 49° oil across frozen Alaska.
What is the biodiversity like in cold environments
Very low (particularly in Antarctica).
Why is a low biodiversity dangerous in cold environments
Since there are so few species, any slight change can be catastrophic, as plants and animals rely on each other.
Global warming is a serious threat.
Why are cold environments valuable
They have important habitats.
They are valuable for science.
Frozen ice stores huge volume of water to avoid global sea level rise.
What are the four ways we ‘balance economic development and conservation’ in cold environments
Use of technology.
International agreements.
Role of governments.
Conservation groups.
How do ‘international agreements’ help to balance economic development and conservation in cold environments
Recognises fragility of area e.g. Antarctica treaty.
Promotes science.
Bans exploitation e.g. of minerals.
How does the ‘role of governments’ help to balance economic development and conservation in cold environments
They set up wild life reserves e.g. Western Arctic Reserve, 9 million hectare wilderness home to range of species
National Environmental Policy Act ensures oil is extracted in a protective way for environment and local people.
How do ‘conservation groups’ help to balance economic development and conservation in cold environments
Work with companies & governments to provide research and protect wildlife.
e.g. WWF.
What is a case study of a cold environment
Svalbard, (part of Norway)
What is the population of Svalbard
2700, mostly in capital Longyearbyen
What are the 4 opportunities in Svalbard
Mineral extraction.
Energy.
Fishing.
Tourism.
What are the 3 challenges in Svalbard
Extreme temperatures.
Inaccessibility.
Provision of buildings & infrastructure.
Why is ‘mineral extraction’ an opportunity in Svalbard
Coal is the main industry in Svalbard, employing 300 people.
However, controversial due to environmental damage.
Why is ‘energy’ an opportunity in Svalbard
Coal-fired power station in Longyearbyen generates all power for Svalbard.
However, could tap into geothermal like Iceland have done as also on mid-Atlantic ridge.
Why is ‘fishing’ an opportunity
Barents sea is a rich fishing ground with 150 species including cod.
Why is ‘tourism’ an opportunity
Provides 300 jobs.
70,000 visitors in 2011.
Adventure tourists => hiking, snow mobiles ect.
Northern Lights.
Why are ‘extreme temperatures’ a challenge in cold environments
Dangerous to be outside without correct clothing.
-30°C in winter.
Why is ‘inaccessibility’ a challenge
Only accessible by plane or ship.
Only 50km of roads, mostly in Lonyearbyen.
Many smaller settlements only accessible by snowmobile.
More snowmobiles than people.
Why are ‘provision of buildings & infrastructure’ a challenge
Most construction is done in summer when it is warmer and there is light.
Must prevent permafrost from melting so many services e.g. water & sewage are in overground pipes to avoid melting.
Roads are basic dirt or gravel as they are easy to maintain.
What is the shrub layer like
Very dark and damp down here.
What is the under-canopy like
Around half height of canopy.
Any gaps due to falling canopy trees are quickly filled.
What is the canopy layer like
Continuous tree layer at around 30m.
What are the emergents like
40m and over stick out over canopy => only have branches above canopy.
What is the soil like in tropical rainforests
Very poor as all nutrients are either absorbed rapidly by trees or washed out by rain (leaching).
What is the climate like in tropical rainforests
Hot and wet all year => around 2000mm rain annually.
What are some animal adaptations in tropical rainforests
Many animals e.g. jaguars can swim to get across river channels.
POISON DART FROG is small enough to live in BROMELIAD flowers in the canopy => brightly coloured to warn predators.
TOUCANS have strong and dexterous beaks to eat fruits, eggs and lizards.
What are some plant adaptations in tropical rainforests
DRIPTIPS on most leaves to remove water and avoid rotting.
BUTTRESS ROOTS on big trees to stop them falling over.
BROMELIAD is brightly coloured to warn predators.
What is the biodiversity like in tropical rainforests
Extremely high in rainforests => 50% of worlds plant, animal & insect species.
How is the biodiversity in rainforests at risk of reducing
Some plants & animals have evolved in very specific conditions so wont respond well to change.
Deforestation likely to reduce biodiversity => 1989 - 218 extinct species in Brazil => 628 by 2008.
How are tropical rainforests valuable
High biodiversity provides range of products.
Potential new medicines from undiscovered plants.
Reduce global warming by absorbing CO₂.
Regulate climate and water cycles e.g. by absorbing water to stop flooding.
What are the 7 causes of deforestation in tropical rainforests
Subsistence farming. Commercial farming. Logging. Road building. Mineral extraction. Energy development. Settlement/Population growth.
What is subsistence farming
Small-scale farming for their own use.
What is commercial farming
Large-scale farming for money e.g. cattle ranching.
What is logging
Cutting down trees in order to sell the wood.
Often illegal.
What is road building
The construction of access roads for farmers, loggers and miners results in large parts of the tropical rainforest being destroyed
What is mineral extraction
Mining e.g. gold/iron ore => results in the clearance of tropical rainforest for mines.
What is energy development
Hydro-electric dams => results in large areas of forest being flooded to create the reservoirs and dams.
What is settlement/population growth
Population growth has resulted in the loss of tropical rainforest as land is cleared to build houses and infrastructure.
What is our case study of a rainforest called
Amazon rainforest
How large is the rainforest
8 million km²
What is a impact on the Amazon in terms of soil erosion
Soil erosion from soy farming leads to loss of 55 million tonnes of topsoil each year (no trees to hold soil together).
What are some reasons for the Amazon rainforest reducing in size
~70% cattle ranches.
20-25% subsistence farms along Trans-Amazonia Highway.
750,000 km² destroyed since 1978.
What is an impact on the Amazon in terms of economic development (money & jobs)
Lots of money & jobs through economic development:
2008 Brazil made $6.9 billion from cattle.
Brazil second biggest exporter of soy beans.
Mining creates jobs e.g. Buenaventura Mining in Peru employs 3100 people.
What is an impact on the amazon in terms of climate change
Amazon stores around 100 billion tonnes of CO₂ => deforestation leads to this being released => climate change.
What are the 5 ‘sustainable management of rainforests’
Selective logging and replanting. Debt reduction. Education & conservation International agreements on hardwoods. Ecotourism.
What is selective logging and replanting
Selective logging of mature trees ensures that the rainforest canopy is preserved.
This method allows the forest to recover because the younger trees gain more space and sunlight to grow.
Planned and controlled logging ensures that for every tree logged another is planted
What is debt reduction
Poor countries can cancel or reduce debts to rich in exchange for conservation.
Peru reduced debt to USA by $25 million in 2008 in exchange for rainforest conservation.
What is ecotourism
Ecotourism aims to give jobs to local people whilst protecting the environment.
Ecotourists travel in small groups and often visit reserves where the scenery and wildlife is protected and managed.
Largest income source in Costa Rica.
What are international agreements on hardwoods
Forest Stewardship Council mark their logo onto sustainable timber.
What is education & conservation
Educate the world about value of forests so they buy sustainable products.
Educate locals about value that they dont do e.g. illegal logging.
Set up nature reserves e.g. Central Amazon Conservation Complex in Brazil (World Heritage site)
