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Living world Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

An ecosystem is a natural system that is made up of plants, animals and the environment in which they live

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2
Q

Two types of component in an ecosystem

A

Biotic- eg plants, animals, bacteria, fungi
Abiotic- eg climate water and soils

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3
Q

What is a food chain?

A

Shows the direct links between different organisms that rely on each other as a source of food

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4
Q

What is a food web?

A

The complex hierarchy of plants and animals that rely on each other as a source of food within an ecosystem

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5
Q

Two main sources nutrients are derived from

A
  • rainwater washing chemicals out of the atmosphere
  • weathering of rocks, releasing chemicals into the soil
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6
Q

Natural changes of an ecosystem

A

-extreme weather events
-fire caused by lightning
-climate change/ global warming
- spread of invasive species or introduction of alien species

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7
Q

Human induced change of an ecosystem

A

-land use change eg- deforestation and hedgerow removal
-alteration to water and soils, such as land draining or adding fertilisers
- hunting or trapping animals
-introduction of alien species

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8
Q

how changes effect pond ecosystem

A

-climate change and extreme weather events can dramatically effect water levels. low water levels put organisms in danger
-fertilisers on farmland can result in an influx of nutrients into a pond, causing algal bloom, which effectively deprives the pond of oxygen
-introduction of alien species could reduce food supple for other organisms

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9
Q

how changes affect deciduous forests?

A

-Chalara- disease that affects many ash trees, causing bark loss and tree damage. Lack of ash trees affects the ecosystems food supply for primary consumers
-controlled hunting for species such as deer can be important to maintaining balance within an ecosystem, as it will keep food supply for other consumers higher

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10
Q

What factors affect the distribution of global ecosystems (biomes)?

A

-climate (primary factor)
-warm/ cold ocean currents
-distribution of land and sea
-pattern of surface winds

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11
Q

Characteristics/ location deserts

A

-roughly 30 degrees N and S of equator, close to tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
-sinking air suppresses rain formation- arid conditions
-hot in daytime but cooler at night- no cloud cover, heat cannot be contained
- plants and animals well adapted

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12
Q

Location/ characteristics of tropical rainforests

A
  • close to equator, widespread across Asia, Africa and South America
  • high sun insolation
  • low pressure due to rising air
  • high rainfall
  • high biodiversity
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13
Q

What are the 3 nutrient stores

A

-biomass (trees, plants etc)
-soil
-leaf litter

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14
Q

Tropical rainforest facts

A

-cover about 2% of earth’s surface
-home to over 50% of the worlds plants and animals
-experience high temperatures (about 27 degrees throughout the year)
-high rainfall (over 2000 mm per year)
Typically have ‘wet season’ from June to october

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15
Q

Rainforest soils characteristics

A

-not very fertile
-red coloured and iron rich
-nutrients concentrated in upper topsoil- very quickly taken up by plants as they grow

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16
Q

Rainforest Plants and animals characteristics

A
  • highest level of biodiversity
    -birds live in canopy high above flood feeding off seeds and nectar
    -mammals such as monkeys and sloths well adapted to life in trees
    -snakes use trees as vertical highways
    -animals like deer and rodents browse on vegetation on forest floor
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17
Q

Characteristics of people in rainforests

A

-tradition tribes live in harmony with natural environment-hunting only what is needed to survive- sustainable
-People from outside local area exploit rainforests for commercial gain- extremely harmful to rainforest

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18
Q

Nutrient stores in rainforests

A
  • vast majority of nutrients in biomass
  • soil contains few nutrients, as they are quickly absorbed by plants or leached into soil by rainfall
  • few in litter store, as decomposed quickly break down dead leaves due to perfect conditions
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19
Q

Plant adaptations in rainforests

A
  • buttress roots help anchor trees in shallow rainforest soil
  • lianas- woody vines which grow around and between tree trunks
  • tallest trees punch their way through the main canopy to exploit maximum sunlight
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20
Q

Animal adaptations in rainforests

A
  • Toucans and parents have strong breaks for cracking hard nuts which other birds cannot break
  • three toed sloths have long claws allowing them to climb trees. also algae grows on their fur, acting as camouflage
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21
Q

how biodiverse are rainforests?

A
  • contain 170,000 of the worlds 250,000 known plant species
    -recent survey found 487 separate tree species in a single hectare
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22
Q

reasons for high diversity in rainforests

A
  • wet and warm climate allows rapid plant growth, providing habitats for animals also
  • rapid recycling of nutrients speeds up plant growth
  • many parts untouched by people, so can grow and thrive as they please
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23
Q

How much deforestation has occurred in brazilian rainforest since 1970?

A
  • 18% of total rainforest cleared (3x size of Uk)
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24
Q

how does farming lead to deforestation?

A
  • land cleared for crop plantations and cattle grazing
  • cattle ranching accounts for 80% of deforestation in brazil
    -indigenous tribes clear small areas of land to practise subsistence farming
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25
Q

how does logging lead to deforestation?

A
  • trees cut down for timber- woods such as mahogany and teak valuable for furniture
  • small trees used for fuel
  • 80% of deforestation in Malaysia is for logging
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26
Q

how does road building lead to deforestation?

A
  • trees cleared to make way for roads
  • roads provide access to new mining areas, settlements and energy projects
  • Trans- amazonian highway in brazil stretches for 4000 km through rainforest
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27
Q

how does mineral extraction lead to deforestation?

A
  • minerals such as gold, bauxite are mined extensively, meaning trees need to be cleared before mining can take place
  • also pollutes rivers
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28
Q

how does energy development lead to deforestation?

A
  • high rainfall leads to ideal conditions for hydroelectric power dams
  • in brazil, Belo Monte dam has flooded over 40,000 hectares of rainforest and displaced 20,000 locals
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29
Q

how is economic development an impact of deforestation?

A
  • mining an commercial farming create jobs for locals
  • hydro electricity is cheap renewable energy, boosting industrial development
  • improved infrastructure opens up new areas for economic development
  • loss of biodiversity may reduce tourism
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30
Q

how is soil erosion an impact of deforestation?

A
  • without trees to intercept high rainfall, land is exposed, meaning soil is much more vulnerable to the torrential rain
    -with no roots to bind it together loose soil can be easily eroded and washed away
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31
Q

how is climate change an impact of deforestation?

A

-high levels of evaporation from plants cools the air, so without this air becomes warmer
- trees are carbon sinks, so when they are burned the carbon is released back into the atmosphere, contributing to the enhanced greenhouse effect-> global warming

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32
Q

how are rainforests important resources?

A
  • people use reserves of wood, nuts, fruit and minerals- items such as banana, cocoa and sugar from here
    -20% of worlds freshwater comes from amazon basin
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33
Q

how are rainforests valuable for medicine

A
  • 25% of all medicines come from rainforest plants, with more than 2,000 plants having anti-cancer properties
  • on top of this, less than 1% of plants have actually been tested for medicinal qualities
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34
Q

how much of the worlds oxygen is contributed by rainforests?

A

-28%

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35
Q

different management techniques for rainforests?

A
  • selective logging + replanting
  • conservation and education
    -debt for conservation swaps/ debt reduction
  • ecotourism
  • international agreements about hardwoods
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36
Q

what is selective logging/ replanting?

A
  • trees selected by professionals or machines in order to reduce damage to other trees
  • monitored by officials to ensure legal and correct
  • new trees planted after
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37
Q

what is conservation and education?

A
  • national parks in rainforests mean areas are protected from development, due to large companies supporting conservation projects in exchange for materials or scientific research
  • charities such as WWF support these programmes which train conservation officers and scientists, and promote rainforest conservation in school
38
Q

what are debt for conservation swaps or debt reduction?

A

-countries that have money owed by other countries will write off debts in return for rainforests being protected
- eg a brazilian debt of £13.5m was converted into a fund to protect areas of rainforest

39
Q

what are international agreements about hardwoods?

A

-involves companies agreeing to only using timber which has been verified by organisations such as Forest Stewardship Council, who make sure timber comes form sustainable sources, reducing illegal felling
-the International Tropical Timber agreement in 2006 restricted the trade in hardwoods by only marking timber with a registration mark if it is form a sustainably managed forest

40
Q

what is ecotourism?

A

-a sustainable form of tourism that focuses on the natural environment and has a very low impact.
- supports local communities employing indigenous people as guides, and often providing education or social improvements
- offers local people and government a financial return for preserving rainforests

41
Q

What are the physical characteristics of hot deserts?

A
  • Arid (dry), blow 250mm of rainfall per year
  • hot, temps rising well above 40 degrees Celcius
    -rocky, desolate places with isolated thorny bushes and cacti
    -low biodiversity
42
Q

Where are deserts found?

A
  • between 15 and 35 degrees N and S of equator
43
Q

What is soil like in hot deserts?

A
  • Dry
  • not very fertile
  • sandy and rocky
  • typically about 1m deep
  • lack of vegetation
44
Q

in what ways are soils and plants interdependent

A
  • vegetation/ plants provides shade and food for animals- this means stops soil losing water, nutrients also provided when dead matter is broken down
  • soil provides the structure for roots to take hold and grow
45
Q

examples of Producers in hot desert

A
  • cacti
  • creosote bushes
  • thorn acacias
  • annual flowers
  • rabbit brush
  • ocotillo
  • sage brush
46
Q

examples of primary consumers in hot deserts

A
  • insects
  • lizards
  • rodents- eg kangaroo rats
47
Q

examples of secondary consumers in hot deserts

A
  • tarantulas
  • scorpions
    -lizards
  • snakes
48
Q

examples of tertiary consumers in hot deserts

A
  • hawks
  • kit fox
49
Q

adaptations of xerophytes (plants that live in dry conditions) that live in hot deserts

A
  • have thick waxy cuticles
  • shed leaves to reduce water loss through transpiration
  • some have the bulk of their biomass below ground surface where conditions are cooler
  • grow very quickly after rainfall
50
Q

examples of hot desert plants

A
  • desert yellow daisy
  • prickly pear cactus
  • saguaro cactus
51
Q

adaptations of saguaro cactus

A

-xerophyte
- grows very slowly to conserve energy
- can store up to 9 tonnes of water
- body made of vertical pleats that expand to allow greater water storage
- can lose up to 82% of its water before dying do dehydration

52
Q

examples of adapted hot desert animals

A
  • fennec fox
  • peringuey adder
  • kangaroo rat
    -camel
53
Q

how is fennec fox adapted to hot deserts

A
  • large ears- dissipates excess body heat
    -kidneys adapted to restrict water loss
    -thick fur insulates them on cold desert nights
  • sandy fur helps reflect heat, and acts as camouflage
  • thick fur on soles of feet to insulate against hot sand
54
Q

camel adaptations to hot deserts

A

-can go a week or more without water, can last for several months without food
-can drink up to 46 litres in one drinking session
- store fat in hump which can be metabolised for energy
- body temp fluctuates throughout the day from 34 to 41.7 degrees, allowing them to conserve water by not sweating
- thick lips allows them to eat prickly plants without pain

55
Q

opportunities in hot deserts

A

-solar energy panels
- tourism
- agricultural farming
- mineral extraction

56
Q

issues of possible opportunities in hot deserts

A
  • expensive to build solar panels
  • inaccessibility for tourists
  • irrigation needed for farming
  • mineral extraction bad for environment
57
Q

which desert is case study

A
  • western desert, USA
58
Q

reasons for tourism in western desert

A
  • visitors get chance to experience wilderness areas
  • celebrates culture of natives
  • 37 million annual visitors to Vegas
    -Lake powell and lake mead create water sports opportunities
59
Q

challenges of tourism in western desert

A
  • artificial lakes eg Mead and Powell, could effect habitats/ change ecosystem
  • lack of accessability
60
Q

reasons for farming in deserts

A

-hot conditions and high sun insolation perfect for growth of many plants
-irrigation supplied by aquifers, which extract water form stores beneath ground
and also by canals

61
Q

challenges of farming in western desert

A
  • canals can cause floods
  • high maintenance
62
Q

reason for mineral extraction/ energy generation in western deserts

A

-rich in minerals- copper, uranium, lead, zinc and coal
- solar energy due to high sun insolation- sonoran solar project projected to provide energy for 100,000 homes
-hydroelectric power created by water in lake Mead
-lots of oil in these regions

63
Q

challenges of mineral extraction and energy generation in western desert

A

-land conflict
- risk to wildlife
-solar panels expensive

64
Q

explain challenges of extreme temps in western desert

A

-avg temp of 27 degrees, but can soar up to 50 in the summer
- work very hard outside during the day
- high rates of evaporation leads to water shortages
- western desert expected to warm faster than other regions

65
Q

how is challenge of extreme temp in western desert managed?

A
  • plants and animals already adapted
  • houses have thick walls, which keeps cool during day and keep heat inside during night
  • walls white washed to reflect sunlight
  • workers eg farmers only work outside during morning or evening- banned throughout day
66
Q

explain challenge of water insecurity in western desert

A
  • increasing population- demand for water increases
  • decreasing snowfall in rockies- less meltwater which flows through rivers and canals to
    people
67
Q

how is challenge of water insecurity in western desert managed

A

-storing water in reservoirs such as lake Powell and Mead-large bodies of water reduce evaporation
-flat roofs to collect rainwater
- shade balls in reservoirs to reduce evaporation

68
Q

Explain problem of nevada’s water deficit

A
  • lack of rainfall
    -lack of freshwater from colerado river
    -struggle to reduce demand for water
  • people watering their lawn uses 60% of water
69
Q

how to manage challenge of Nevadas water defeci

A
  • ‘xeriscaping’- gardens which use drought resistant plants
  • new developments- no front yard grass, 50% backyard grass only, $2 for every square foot of grass
70
Q

explain challenge of inaccessibility in western desert

A
  • lack of roads due to low population density
  • route 60, route 70 only main roads
71
Q

how challenge of inaccessibility managed in western desert

A
  • 4 airports in las Vegas
    -118 routes to vegas- 38 millions visitors a year
72
Q

what is desertification

A
  • the process of land becoming drier and degrading in quality, due to both human activities and natural process
73
Q

reasons for desertification

A
  • climate change (global)
  • population growth (global)
  • removal of fuel wood (regional)
  • overgrazing (local)
  • over-cultivation (local)
  • soil erosion (regional)
74
Q

cycle of desertification

A

-amount of natural vegetation decreases (due to external factor)
-no plants of leaves can intercept rain and soil is exposed to sun
- sun bakes soil and it cracks
- rain water runs over surface rather than it being absorbed
-soil is easily washed away (leaching)
-soil is degraded, losing fertility and structure
- soil is worn out, poor quality and so it is hard to grow crops and natural vegetation
-cycle repeats

75
Q

Desert fringe case study

A
  • Sahel region (south of Sahara)
76
Q

where is Sahel

A
  • thin band that runs ways to west across 9 countries, such as Chad and Sudan, and is just south of Sahara
77
Q

How does overcultivation cause desertification

A
  • exhausts soils fertility
    -more children born into farming families- more crops planted- some aquifers drained dry
    -European countries using large areas of Ghana to grow water-hungry cash crops
78
Q

how does overgrazing cause desertification

A
  • if too many animals graze for too long on one site, all vegetation is eaten and may be unable to regrow
    -Due to political boundaries, Normandic groups cannot wander freely meaning that they have to stay in the same place- land gets overgrazed
79
Q

how does soil erosion cause desertification

A

-overcultivation and over grazing both result in soil erosion
- topsoil becomes exposed due to lack of interception or shade, therefore it becomes baked and hard, meaning that rainfall washed over soil, carrying topsoil away and leaching its nutrients
-this makes it impossible for vegetation to regrow

80
Q

methods to prevent desertification

A
  • water and soil management
  • afforestation ( planting trees)
  • use of appropriate/ intermediate technology
81
Q

how does afforestation prevent desertification

A

-allows tree roots to bind soil together and prevents it from drying out due to more shade and coverage
- this means soil is not eroded as it cannot easily be washed away by rainfall or blown away by wind
-e.g great green wall across Africa

82
Q

limitations of afforestation

A
  • costs a lot
  • with Great Green wall example- lots of countries need to agree to it
83
Q

how does water and soil management reduce risk of desertification

A
  • traps soil that is being transported by wind or by water during rainfall
  • meaning that soil isn’t eroded, and less water is lost through surface run off
    -leading to an increased crop yield by up to 50%- significantly reduces risk of desertification
  • eg Burkina Faso
84
Q

-limitations of soil and water management

A
  • difficult to maintain
  • small scale
85
Q

how does appropriate (intermediate) technology (fuel efficient stoves) reduce risk of desertification

A
  • needs 55% less firewood to cook food
  • less trees cut down for firewood- less deforestation
    -more trees = soil held together by roots and not dried out due to shades, and leaves intercept rainfall- less leaching
  • eg Senegal - 86% of aural population depends on biomass for cooking
86
Q

limitations of appropriate technology (fuel effiecient stoves)

A
  • still uses firewood
  • hard to give everyone stove
87
Q

How many plant species in amazon rainforest

A
  • 60,000
88
Q

How many live in amazon rainforest

A
  • 20 million
89
Q

What type of forest is epping forest

A
  • Ancient deciduous forest
90
Q

How many species of fungi in epping forest

A
  • 700

geography (11 decks)

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