Living world Flashcards
what is an ecosystem?
the living and non-living relationships between the environment and the organisms
what is a biome?
a global ecosystem eg. a tundra, desert, savanna, rainforest, grassland, marine etc
what is a producer?
organisms that obtain their energy from the sun
what is a consumer?
organisms that obtain their energy from eating other organisms
what is a scavenger?
organisms that eat dead animals or plants
what is a decomposer?
bacteria that break down animals or plants
what is the nutrient cycle?
the recycling of nutrients. they are stored in the soil and biomass and litter
what is eutrophication?
lots of nutrients in a lake and causes lots of plant growth
local changes that can change ecosystems
hedgerow removal and agricultural change
global changes that can effect ecosystems
climate change (the world is changing 10,000 times faster than animals can adapt to it) and conflict
Malaysian case study…
is in south asia
between equator and tropic of cancer
14.4% of the rainforest has been cut down
the WWF is protecting 30% of the land
weathering can…
…make everything break down faster because of the warm weather and the biomass takes all the nutrients up
the fall out can…
…make the dead trees fall to the ground and make more litter
the precipitation can…
…add nutrients to the nutrient cycles
the run-off…
…nutrients are run out off the soil during heavy rain
leaching is where…
…nutrients are lost out of the soil during heavy rain
decay is…
…rapid decay due to warm weather, for the decomposers
what are the 4 layers of the rainforest?
- forest floor- dark and steamy, 2% of light, dead and decaying matter
- lower canopy- grows quickly and plants competing for life
- canopy- the main section, umbrella shapes
- emergent- thick trunks, and only one or two of the tallest trees
Lianas are…
woody creepers that are rooted to the ground but climb up thee trees
buttress roots are…
massive ridges to support bases and increases surface areas
epiphytes are…
plants that live on the trunks to make the most of the sunlight
how much of the world’s oxygen does the amazon rainforest create?
20%
what is subsistance farming?
it is the farmer creating food only for his own family
where is the amazon rainforest?
it is 2/3 of Brazil, north the topic of Capricorn and is south of the equator with its coast of the Atlantic Ocean
what is the nutrient cycle of the tundra?
they are the main stores. the nutrients are transported the most by fallout then uptake and deacy
mineral extraction of svalbard
60% of the country is covered in glaciers, 300 people are in the mining industry,
fishing in svalbard
norway claimed 200 nortical miles around Svalbard, in the barent sea is the richest in fish in the world, 2/3 of the UKs cod is from here, over 150 secies of fish
energy development in svalbard
norway’s only coal mine is supplies the country with all its heat, per year 40 tonnes of co2 is used per year per person which is 4 times the amount in the uk, planningto used geothermal and carbon capture in the future
tourism in svalbard
very fertile environment, growing- 130,000 guests in 2012, a museum which has 40,000 visitors per year
What is off road driving and why is it bad
When tourists go off road to go fishing etc. This is bad because it destroys habitats
How to stop oil leaks?
Maintain pipelines- add insulation so they don’t crack under heat of oil/ coldness if weather
Pipelines pass underneath ground- less risk of spill
Make pipeline supported off ground- so don’t break in earthquakes and migrating caribou can migrate underneath
What is the trans Alaskan pipe line?
It allows oil to be transported 1300km from Prudhoe bay to the port of Valdez. Also when it’s hot which helps be oil flow the it can melt permafrost which can change ecosystem
How are the US government managing cold environments?
By establishing the national environmental policy act making sure lorries protect the natural environment and recognise the rights of native people. Also the western arctic reserve- a 9 mil hectare protected wilderness. Which is home to thousands of caribou, millions of migrating birds, musk ox, wolves and polar bears. Also there is the national oceanic and atmospheric administration oversees and sustainable fisheries in Alaska and protects the marine habitats
What is he Antarctic treaty?
It is an important international agreement where it shows the unity between the Antarctic and the USA.
Polar bears that like on the northern coast of Alaska and western Canada
Their population have declined by 40% in 10 years
