P1 GEOGRAPHY- Ecosystems and TRFs Flashcards
What is a food chain?
shows direct links between organisms in an ecosystem via lines.
What is a food web?
Shows the connection between organisms in an ecosystem.
What is nutrient cycling?
Nutrients= food used by plants/animals to grow
When a plant/animal dies decomposers help them to recycle the nutrients again and again.
What are producers?
They convert energy from the environment to gain nutrients i.e. sun into sugars
What are consumers?
Get energy from eating producers and the sugars produced by producers
What are decomposers?
Break down plant/animal material return the nutrients to the soil i.e. fungi and bacteria
What is abiotic? Give examples
Non living parts of an ecosystem like soil and temperature and light
What is biotic? Give examples
Living elements of an ecosystem like plants and animals
What is a biome and what is small scale?
Give examples of 5 biomes and 2 small scale ecosystems?
A biome is a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying large scale ecosystem and then there are also small scale ecosystems.
5 biomes are— tundra, desert ,savannah, TRFs, deciduous woodland
2 small– pond, woodlands
What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a natural environment and includes an interdependent community of the flora and fauna that live and interact within that environment. Ecosystems are dependent on abiotic and biotic factors to survive.
What is the growing temperature for plants?
6 degrees Celsius
What is permafrost?
a thick surface layer of frozen soil that remains below freezing point.
What does interdependence mean?
Dependence of 2 or more things on each other like plants and animals need soil to grow and soil needs plants and animals for nutrients via decomposition.
Give 1 reason why energy is lost at each level in a food chain?
Primary consumers excrete and use energy to perform actions like running and it loses energy
Why are changes sometimes bad for ecosystems?
1 change can change the whole ecosystem
Give examples of natural changes:
Wildfires- fires burn habitats but soil fertilises from ash
Flooding - drowning and change of habitat
Droughts- lead to a dry climate= lack of water= dehydration
Give examples of human changes:
Agriculture- fertilisers lead to an increase of nitrate in water= more algae= more oxygen so fish dead
Climate Change-green house gases= hotter climate
Fish Stocking-Putting fish in unfamiliar environments
TRFS characteristics
Soil- Rich in Iron but infertile as nutrients get washed out by heavy rain
Vegetation- Grows in distinct layers and have adapted to climate and poor soils i.e. drip tips and buttress roots
Climate- Daily average temps of 28*C
At least 2000mm of rain falls and its sticky and humid
Location- South America, South East Asia etc
Tundra Characteristics
Soil- poor nutrients and an underlayer of soil called permafrost which remains frozen
Vegetation- known for lack of vegetation/trees
Climate- temperatures stay below 0 degrees Celsius and main precipitation is snow but winds are strong.
Summers have continuous hours of daylight but winters are long and dark.
Location- top of the world near north pole i.e. Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland and Russia
Name some rainforests around the world.
Ecuador cloud forest, Sinharaja Forest, Sumatra Forest and the renowned amazon rainforest
On a graph what represents rainfall and what represents the temperature?
Rainfall= bars Temperature= line
Layering of the rainforest
Emergents- Giant tress that are the most tall and receive the most sunlight. Animals like birds reside here—– 40+m tall, tall trees, buttress roots
Canopy- the abundant part of the TRF which is full of life and home to many insects/birds/mammals— 20-30m with birds, lianas etc
Understory- The cool and dark layer between the canopy and ground—- 15-20m tall trees made up of growing trees for monkeys and sloths
Forest floor-Ground layer of TRF with jaguars, elephants etc— dark and only 2% of sunlight from sun. This is where decomposition occurs
Describe the soils of the rainforest
Mainly thin and poor due to heavy precipitation causes leaching
If the soils are poor, why is there soo much luxuriant vegetation?
Rapid recycling of nutrients known as the nutrient cycle
Describe the rainforest nutrient cycle
Trees shed leaves all year and this causes decaying vegetation to decompose quickly. These nutrients from the decomposed enter the soils and shallow roots quickly take up nutrients. This causes trees to grow rapidly
Name and describe 4 plant adaptations in the TRFs
Drip Tip leaves- allows excess water to run off leaves to avoid over saturation and have waxy layer
Tall trees allow maximum sunlight absorption
Lianas– twist around branches and the roots are from the forest floor. They twist around trees from maximum sunlight absorption
Buttress roots- Extremely wide as they have large surface area and take up lots of nutrients before rain leaches nutrients. They also provide stability for tall
trees
Where are tropical rainforests located?
Tropical rainforests are mainly located between the latitudes of (the Tropic of Cancer) and (the Tropic of Capricorn) around the equator. Tropical rainforests are found in Africa, western India, Southeast Asia
Name the adaptations of a toucan
Name the adaptations of a 3 toed sloth
Large, hard beak so it can reach food. They can also adjust the flow of their blood to the beak. Toucan’s vivid colours provide camouflage in the rainforest canopy.
3 toes for 3 claws to hang upside down with a better grip. Longer arms than legs for swinging. Walk slow so they cant be seen by predators. Good swimmers in case of flooding.
What are buttress roots?
Large, wide rots that provide stability and maximise nutrient intake where there are poor soils
What is leaf angling?
Leaves are angles so they can face the sun for better photosynthesis.
What are lianas?
Long woody plants that have roots in the soil but wrap around trees so they can have maximum sunlight absorption
What are epiphytes?
These are plants which live on the branches of trees high up in the canopy. They get their nutrients from the air and water, not from the soil.
What’s the adaptations of thin bark?
Since there is no need to conserve moisture as their habitat is always wet, these trees do not spend energy on developing a thick bark.
How much of the worlds oxygen comes from TRFs?
28%
Name some medicine derived from TRFs
Medicine like- St johns wort for depression or Quinine for painkillers or even Vitamin C from oranges
Name some raw materials derived from TRFs
Wood pulp for paper— Rubber for tyres– Bamboo for scaffolding
Name a TRF indigenous tribe and describe them
The Achuar’s ( An Ecuadorian Tribe)
A tribe of 11,000 in small communities
Reliant on TYRFs food and medicine for resources
Treat the rainforest with respect and harvest sustainably
Deforestation is leading to their loss of habitat and destruction of the history of many ancestors and destruction of animals= loss of their food
What is the leading cause of deforestation?
Agriculture/ Farming
What is subsistence farming?
Small scale farming to rear animals and produce crops
What is commercial farming?
Large scale farming with mass deforestation for land
What is logging?
Clearing out land for trees
What are some economic gains of deforestation
New railways constructed= materials exported= money
Ores mines allow jobs in mining
Hydroelectric energy allows cheap energy
Production of palm oil and rubber which can be sold
What are some economic losses of deforestation
Loss of tourism= loss of jobs
Drinking water polluted by mercury so hospitals are overwhelmed and farmers die so cannot sell produce
What is the difference between protection and conservation of the rainforest?
Conservation= natural resources can be used but sustainably
Protection= Environment should be untouched and away from human interaction
What is degradation?
The damage caused to ecosystems and their loss of biodiversity
What are keystone species?
is one which has a particular large effect on other living organisms
What is sustainable managment?
conserves the ecosystem for future generations by ensuring it isn’t used faster than it can be renewed
Why is selective logging good?
More sustainable than mass felling and trees are logged in a way that other trees aren’t damaged. Also, sometimes after selective logging- the tree is replanted.
This is good because vast areas aren’t cleared so ecosystems are protected. Also replanting trees ensures a constant cycle of wood is available which protects the environment and reduces C02 levels.
Why are conservation areas good and what are they?
Conservation areas are areas preserved for scientific research and education.
This is good as these areas are protected from large scale mining/logging.
- People learn about the importance of conservation in the rainforest
- Businesses support conservation project in exchange of research content.
What is ecotourism and give examples of factors to an ecotourist holiday?
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people.
i.e staying in eco lodges and using renewable energy
Why is ecotourism good?
Money generated via tourism allows locals and government to benefit.
Trees are more likely to be protected and this is a sustainable option as we dont just cut trees for a short term profit
International Environmental policies like: the forest stewardship council (FSC)
Groups of people help educate manufactures and consumers about sustainable resources and encourage products to have labels like FSC
Why are international environmental policies good?
Businesses and consumers become educated
Long term employment as the market for sustainable resources/ hardwood expands
Patronage between LIC and HIC countries whereby HIC gives LIC money and reduces debts by asking LIC not to deforest
LIC can develop while protecting their natural resources. This helps sustain the local economy and global climate. Also builds alliances with countries
