LIVING WORLD Flashcards
What is a biome?
A large ecosystem covering a large area of the earth’s surface?
What is a producer
Uses sunlight energy to produce food
what is a consumer
Gets its energy by eating other organism - they eat producers or other consumers.
what is a decomposer
an organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead material and dead consumers. eg bacteria and fungi
What is a food web?
A complex series of interconnected food chains of an ecosystem
what is nutrient cycling?
When dead materials decompose they break down into the soil and their energy is released.
The nutrients are then taken up from the soil by plants. The plants may be eaten by consumers.
When the plants or consumers die the nutrients are returned into the soil.
What are the trophic levels going from bottom to top?
Primary producer
Primary consumer
Secondary consumer
Tertiary consumer
Climatic summary of: TRF
Distibution
Wet all year 2000 - 3000mm of annual precipitation
27 - 30 degrees
Equatorial regions
Climatic summary of: Hot Dessert
Distribution
Low annual rainfall- less than 250mm
Diurnal can reach 45 - 0
Close to tropics
Climatic summary of: Decidious woodland
Distribution
Warm summers 18 degrees
Cold winters 10 degrees
Wet all year 1500 mm
Higher latitudes eg. Western Europe and East coasts of Asia, North America and New Zealand
Climatic summary of: Savanna Grassland
Distribution
Hot all year 25 - 35 degrees
Distinct dry and wet seasons
Between equator and tropics
How do trees take advantage of the continuous season in the tropical rainforest?
Trees are evergreen so they grow all year round.
They are very tall as only two percent of water reaches the forest floor
Is the soil fertile in the TRF?
No however the top layer is very fertile due to fast nutrient recycling because of the humidity.
Heavy rainfall mean lots of leaching
Why is biodiversity high in the TRF?
Constant conditions means always lots to eat
Wet and warm - perfect for plant growth
Plants have adapted to the conditions
What are the layers of the rainforest?
Emergent 40m+
Main canopy 20-30m
Under canopy 10-20m
Shrub layer
How is the TRF interdependent?
Changes to one part of the ecosystem have major parts to others. As they are INTERDEPENDENT
Nutrient Cycling
Plants and animals form symbiotic relationships - they depend on each other for survival
eg. cutting down trees increases leaching
Name 3 plant adaptations in the TRF?
Buttress roots - spread wide to support tall tree - shallow to get surface nutrients
Waxy drip tips pointed ends helps surface run off
Lianas - climbing plants use trunks to reach sunlight.
Name 5 animal adaptations in the TRF?
Camouflage
Nocturnality / low light levels on forest floor eg. anteaters
Reduced sized
Limited diet
Poision
What rate of the amazon will be lost if current rates of deforestation continue?
30%
What are the main 3 reasons why the amazon rainforest is being cut down?
Commercial farming- 65 to 70% - Cattle grazing and huge plantations. Cattle main cause of deforestation. Soy plantations.
Subsistence farming - Forest cleared for small-scale farming. Many indigenous.
Commercial logging - Amazon contains lots of valuable hardwoods eg. Mahogany
What are the 4 other minor reasons for deforestation in Brazil>
Mineral extraction
Energy development - Hydroelectric dams
Population growth - pressure on Brazilian government so it’s a solution for the poor eg. Trans-Amazonian Highway
Road building
What are the economic impacts of Deforestation in the amazon?
Brings in money from farming especially. Brazil made $600 M in 2018 from beef
Mineral extraction creates jobs
Logging can be used to make things but not very attractive for tourism
What are the environmental impacts of Deforestation in the Amazon?
Trees remove CO2 and act as a carbon sink so removing the trees prevents this. - 75% of Brazil’s emissions are from deforestation.
Soil erosion prevents growth and affects interdependence. Farmers are then forced to find new areas.
This may lead to flooding and landslides in the future
How can we make deforestation more sustainable?
Replanting for every tree cut down
Selective logging - canopy remains and therefore soil is protected
Ecotourism - No litter/ Income and job opportunities for locals - they don’t have to log or farm/ Educates
Education
Conservation parks - restricts damaging activities but relies on funding for policing
Reduce debt owed to HICs - Many LICs turn to logging, commercial farming, or mining to earn this money - No guarantee that the repayment money will be spent on conservation so conservation swaps are ideal.
International hardwood agreements - prevent illegal logging
Why is the TRF important to us?
Products are found eg. rubber chocolate and coffee.
Reduces greenhouse effect
Economic benefits such as ecotourism
Example of efforts to reduce deforestation?
In 1996 Costa Rica made unauthorised deforestation illegal and provided financial support to farmers to preserve their land. - Since then, forest cover has increased to around 60% of land cover.
Increased awareness of the effects of deforestation has led to reduced demand for products from deforested areas. EG. Divine Chocolate company no longer uses palm oil in their products
