Living World Flashcards
What type of biome is the UK in? Name its characteristics - Living World
Temperate deciduous
4 distinctive seasons, trees lose leaves in winter
What is it called when factors of eco systems affect one another? - Living World
Interdependence
What is an example of interdependence? - Living World
In an ecosystem, if conditions were to stop vegetation from growing, the primary consumers would not have enough food to provide enough energy to sustain the life of larger predators, leading to the death of other animals
Where are rainforests located? - Living World
Rains forests are located in Africa, Asia, South America and in Australasia. They are mainly between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
How does global atmospheric circulation work?
Along the equator, the sun’s rays are strongest and the air heats. The warm air rises, causing an area of low pressure. The rising air carries moisture, which condenses and forms cumulonimbus clouds. The hot air spreads away from the equator, and sinks, heating and creating dry, arid areas.
How are howler monkeys adapted to rainforests? - Living World
Howler monkeys have very strong limbs. It is needed to let them hunt in the canopy. It does this by allowing them to swing through trees for long periods of time to hunt and evade predators
How are leaf tailed geckos adapted to rainforests? - Living World
Leaf tailed geckos can camouflage into their surroundings. This allows them to hide from predators that may eat them
How are emergent trees adapted to rainforests? - Living World
Emergent trees have buttress roots. These are needed to support 50+ metres of tree, and to absorb minerals. They are large and therefore sturdy, and have large surface areas to intake minerals from the soils at ground level.
How are Lianas adapted to rainforests? - Living World
Lianas have curved growth, which support their growth up a tree. This means that the vines can curve round a tree, supporting and meaning they can reach higher up to where more light is, so they can photosynthesise more.
What impacts would deforestation have on soil? - Living World
The soil would become fragile as no roots would be able to hold it together. Without trees, the soil will have no minerals, and therefore could become permanently infertile.
What impacts would deforestation have on plants? - Living World
Lots of minerals needed for growth of plants would not be present. More plants would have access to light. Lianas require trees to support growth.
What impacts would deforestation have on animals? - Living World
Some animals rely on trees for habitats, like birds and howler monkeys. Also, without transpiration, there could be drought, leading to even less vegetation
What percentage of the world’s oxygen does the Amazon provide?
The Amazon provides 20% of the world’s oxygen
Why is mining a cause of deforestation? - Living World
Large areas of trees are cleared for mining metal ores like tin, iron, copper, lead and zinc
How is logging a cause of deforestation? + what solution is there? - Living World
Large areas are logged for furniture, paper, card
Selective logging can be used to allow trees to regrow (SUSTAINABLE)
How is population growth a cause of deforestation? - Living World
Mass influx of population means people cut down trees to make space for shanty towns.
How much did the Amazon population grow by between 2010 and 2012? - Living World
100,000 people
Name an example of how farming causes deforestation in the Amazon - Living World
43% of Mato Grosso was cut down in the 1980s, replaced with cattle ranches
What positives and negatives are there of building dams in the Amazon? - Living World
+ hydroelectric power is a renewable resource of energy
- it involves flooding large areas of the rainforest, resulting in the destruction of ecosystems
Name the 3 steps of soil erosion in deforested areas - Living World
- Trees can not intercept rainwater before reaching the soil
- The soil isn’t protected, therefore nutrients are washed away, the soil becomes infertile
- Vegetation doesn’t grow, so no roots are there to hold the soil together. The soil is vulnerable to wind erosion
What percentage of the world’s medicines come from the rainforest?
75%
What is debt reduction? - Living World
Some nations offset debts from countries in return for deforestation not taking place
Which country selectively logs? - Living World
Malaysia
What is a desert? - Living World
An area with less than 250 mm of rainfall/year
