paper 1: 1.3 ecosystems, biodiversity and management Flashcards
name all the large scale biomes
7 of them
- boreal forest
- temperate forest
- tundra
- desert
- tropical rainforest
- temperate grassland
- tropical grassland
what are boreal biomes give an example
mostly pine forests at higher latitudes where the sun’s rays are weaker
canada
what are temperate forests give an example
deciduous forest with seasonal variations, losing their leaves in the winter.
UK
what are tundra biomes give an example
within the artic circle, the sun gives off little energy and there is little percipitation.
northern canada
what are desert biomes give an example
close to the tropics, the suns’s energy is concentrated, making it hot during the day.
sahara desert
what are tropical rainforest give an example
found within the tropics where it is hot and wet
brazilian rainforest
what are temperate grassland give an example
hot in summer and very cold in winter, with rainfall in late spring and summer
mid-USA
what are tropical grasslands give an example
mostly in the tropics, hot all year but always with a dry season
kenya
cliamte
temperature
growing seasons are much longer in warmer locations; the further you move away from the equator the shorter they become.
climate
percipitation
the global circulation system influences percipitation. eg. low pressure found between the hadley cells where warm air rises causing rain.
climate
sunshine hours
lower amount of sunshine towards the poles at certain times of the year means less sunlight for photosynthesis.
local factors
altitude
the higher the altitude, the lower the temperature. this means that differnt plants can grow within the same ecosystem.
local factors
rock and soil type
differnt vegetation can grow in the same ecosystem owing to different types of rocks and soil.
biospheres provide vital resource for people
food from the biosphere include
3 types
- fruits, nuts and berries
- land for growing crops
- fish and meat
biospheres provide vital resource for people
energy from the biosphere include
3 types
- animal dung for burning
- trees (wood)
- fermenting crops (bioethanol)
biospheres provide vital resource for people
medicine from the biosphere include
3 types
- poppies (morphine)
- vitamin C (oranges)
- aloe plant (skin creams)
biospheres provide vital resource for people
building materials from the biosphere include
3 types
- straw for roofing
- timber for construction
- animal dung mixed with clay
biospheres provide vital resource for people
water from the biosphere include
1 point
- water moves through living organisms
biospheres provide vital resource for people
minerals from the biosphere include
3 types
- iron ore
- silver
- copper
what are the UK’s main terrestial ecosystems
4 ecosystems
- moorlands
- heathlands
- woodlands
- wetlands
UK’s main terrestial ecosystems
what are moorlands, where are they found in the UK
are they upland or lowland
heather woodland, peat bogs and rough grasslands
- upland areas
- scotland and northern england
UK’s main terrestial ecosystems
what are heathlands, where are they found in the UK
are they upland or lowland
a mixture of marshes and dry, sandy heathland
- lowland areas
- southern england
UK’s main terrestial ecosystems
what are woodlands, where are they found in the UK
are they upland or lowland
remaining ancient woodlands
(eg. birch and oak)
- lowland areas
- north-east scotland
UK’s main terrestial ecosystems
what are wetlands, where are they found in the UK
are they upland or lowland
waterlogged soils
- lowland areas
- scotland, east anglia
UK marine ecosystem importance
how does tourism help people
provides jobs and an income for the local economy
UK marine ecosystem importance
how does energy help the UK
what type of wind
wind energy is reducing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels
UK marine ecosystem importance
how does fishing help people
marine ecosystems provide jobs in the fishing industry
UK marine ecosystem degradation
coastal developments
how do they affect habitats
destroy wildlife habitats
eg. salt marsh
UK marine ecosystem degradation
climate change
what does climate change do to the food chain
introduces new specoes which changes the food web
UK marine ecosystem degradation
overfishing
what does overfishing do to the food chain
eg cod
damages the food chain
UK marine ecosystem degradation
fertilisers for farms
what does fertilisers do to the food chains
lead to eutrophication, damaging the food chains.
what are biotic components
name some in a tropical rainforest
5 things
living parts of the ecosystem. eg.plants and animals
- brazil nut tree, parrot, sloth, tree frog etc.
what are abiotic components
name some in a tropical rainforest
5 things
non-living parts of the ecosystem
eg. soil, water, light, temperature, rainfall etc
what do indigenous tribes do
3 things
- hunt animals
- gather food
- small-scale farming, however the soil is poor in quality caused by leaching
what is the climate in a TRF
- hot and humid
- rains a lot- 20 hrs per day
- 26-28 degrees all year
which model illustrates how nutrients are transferred between the three nutriemt stores
the gersmehl model
what are the three key nutrient stores and which is the largest
- biomass- is the largest
- litter
- soil
what is the biomass store and what happens
from biomass and to biomass
biomass is the main store, rapid growth of vegetation. several layers and countless species
- from biomass– leaf litter
- to biomass–plants roots take up nutrients from the soil
what is the soil store and what happens
from soil and to soil
leaching and low fertility
- from soil– the plants take nutrients up their roots
- to soil– rapid decay of leaf litter due to the heat and humidity, ideal for bacteria to grow
- weathering– weathered materials are added to the soil’s nutrients
- leaching– nutrients seep away
what is the litter store and what happens
from litter and to litter
the leaves decompose very quickly due to the heat and humidity
- from litter–rapid decay of leaf litter
- to litter– leaf litter from falling leaves
- percipitation- it adds nutrients to the leaf litter store
- runoff- heavy rainfall causes nutrients from the leaf litter to run off as the soil cannot absorb it all.
how are nutrients recylcled quickly
what does it lead to
- they are recycled quickly because of hot and wet conditions
which leads to: - rapid plant growth
- decomposition of plant matter
what is the structure of the TRF
- emergents
- canopy
- under canopy
- forest floor
characteristics of the TRF
3 characteristics
- layered structure providing habiatats for a range of species
- hot and wet conditions (all year round rainfall)
- all year round sunshine (excellent for photosynthesis)
animal adaptations in the TRF
5 adaptations
- monkeys have evolved with strong grips and long tails for balancing to collect fruit and nuts from the canopy
- many species have camouflaged to blend in with the surroundings like geckos and jaguars
- parrots and macaws have strong beaks to break open nuts.
- sloths are extremely slow so they don’t draw attention to themselves.
- poison dart frog is very poisonous its one drop can kill a human
plant adaptations in the TRF
5 adaptations
- buttress roots which provide stability for trees taht can grow up to 40 m in height
- tree roots are shallow to gain any nutrients from the top layer of the soil
- plants have drip tips leaves so that excess water can run off preventing rotting.
- hardwood evergreens are like umbrellas
- mushrooms have adapted to grow in the forest floor as only 2% of sunlight reaches here.
tropical rainforest goods
goods of the TRF include
3 goods
- fruit and nuts for indigenous tribes
- plant species for medicines
- timber for furniture, construction and fuels
tropical rainforest services
services of the TRF include
3 services
- home for the indigenous tribe
- source of income through tourism
- carbon store- removes co2 from the atmosphere
effects of climate change
functioning
how does climate change effect functioning of the climate
2 impacts
- functioning- the vital services the rainforest provides-flood prevention, carbon store, home for indigenous people, biodiverserse habitat
- longer periods of drier conditions could stop ‘cloud functioning’
effects of climate change
biodiversity
how does climate change effect biodiversity
2 impacts
- biodiversity- is a term used to describe the variety of life on earth. it can be used more specifically used to refer to all the species in one region
- less rainfall, which could threaten the survival of plants and animals, leading to the invasion of non-tropical rainforest species
effects of climate change
structure
how does climate change effect conditons in the TRF
- structure- the rainforest consists of several layers. each layer has plants and animals which are adapted to the conditions
- drier conditions slow down the processes of decomposition, reducing the biomass store.
causes of TRF deforestation
population growth
urbanisation and agricultural needs means that land is cleared to meet needs.
causes of TRF deforestation
cattle ranching
the biggest cause of deforestation in the amazon. large areas of land are needed for cattle to graze
causes of TRF deforestation
plam oil plantations
large areas are cleared for plam oil, as the demand for food and cosmetics grows for an increasing population
causes of TRF deforestation
mining
valuable minerals are found in the TRF, such as iron ore.
managing TRF
ecotourism
3 factors
- educate local inhabitants, workers and tourists about the importance of conservation
- income generated from tourists can be reinvested into conservation
- creates jobs
managing TRF
national forests
1 factor
- ## protecting biodiversity through government policies
managing TRF
reduced impact logging (RIL)
2 factors
- more profitable than large clearance
- also known as selective logging
would the biotic factor survive if there were changes to the abiotic factors
no, as they are interdependent on each other
services provided to humans
food
4 items
- bananas grow in TRF and are now a $5 billion industry
- black pepper grows on a flowering vine
- coffee is grown in the shade
- palm oil
services provided to humans
medicines
3 medicines
- rosy periwinkle can halt hodgkin’s disease. sales are $160 million a year
- blueprint of aspirin is derived from willow trees
- quinine helps to cure malaria
services provided to humans
timber
2 uses
- wood from mahogany and teak are used for flooring in the UK and USA
- use wood for building materials and fuel.
services provided to humans
recreation
4 ways
- zip wires through the canopy, hanging bridges and high ropes
- river boat rides
- white water rafting
- nature trails
ways costa rica sustainably manages the TRF
- tax deductions for forest owners
- $50 per hectre they protect
- small-scale tourism
- sustainable farming techniques in talamanca
deciduous woodland
name 4 abiotic factors
- atmosphere
- soil
- water
- rock
deciduous woodland
name 2 biotic factors
- plants (flora)
- animals (fauna)
deciduous woodland
how does the gersmehl model look like in a deciduous woodland
- the biomass and soil stores are larger
- litter is a bit small due to decomposition.
deciduous woodland
does the deciduous woodland have more or less biodiversity than a TRF
less
deciduous woodland
why does the deciduous woodland have less biodiversity
4 reasons
- colder temperatures
- less sunlight
- smaller size ecosystem
- higher latitude which means a lower temperature and less sunlight hours so less photosynthesis.
deciduous woodland
animal adaptations
has 4 seasons so adaptations are important
3 adaptations
- birds migrate
- squirrels store food in the summer to use for the winter
- hedgehogs hibernate to conserve energy due to less food around.
deciduous woodland
plant adaptations
has 4 seasons so adaptations are important
4 adaptations
- trees spread their branches for greater sunlight
- broad thin leaves to maximum sunlight
- large, deep roots which reach nutrients and groundwater
- leaves drop to conserve water and reduce transpiration.
goods provided by the deciduous woodland
3 goods
- wood for fires and stoves
- biofuel
- timber
services provided by the deciduous woodland
3 services
- carbon storage-removes co2 from the atmosphere
- protection of plant and animal species
- recreation
deciduous woodland-effects of climate change
how is the structure destroyed
- rising temp and drier conditions which increase the risk of forest fires destroying wildlife habitats.
deciduous woodland-effects of climate change
how is the functioning affected
- periods of drought which could threaten the survival of deciduous trees and make them vulnerable to disease.
deciduous woodland-effects of climate change
how is biodiversity affected
- milder winters which could also threaten species as pests survive, causing a rise in diseases.
causes of deciduous woodland deforestation
what are the causes of deciduous woodland deforestation
3 causes
- agricultural change
- urbanisation and population growth
- timber extraction
causes of deciduous woodland deforestation
agricultural change
increased demand putting pressure on ancient woodlands
causes of deciduous woodland deforestation
urbanisation and population growth
pressure on the countryside where houses are sought after
causes of deciduous woodland deforestation
timber extraction
faster growing and more profitable trees reduce biodiversity
- how do national parks protect deciduous woodlands
- name a park
- sustainable management
- new forest
name 3 protection strategies
- new trees planted
- the green leaf tourism
- careful management by the national park authority
protection strategies
why are new trees planted
- what is given to private landowners
to replace those cut down
- funding to plant native tree species
protection strategies
what does the green leaf tourism scheme promote
promotes the use of local products and businesses dedicate land for wildlifes and recreation
protection strategies
careful management by the national park authority
what does it provide
provides dedicated walk and cycle routes in fragile areas.
