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geography > paper 3- people and the biosphere > Flashcards

paper 3- people and the biosphere Flashcards

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1
Q

how is the biosphere important in controlling the water cycle

A

good source of water vapour into the atmosphere as water is transpired from leaves

helps reduce flood risk as plants/trees intercept precipitation and absorb water which reduces surface run off

interception encourages water to soak into the ground so groundwater stores can be replenished

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2
Q

how does rainfall influence the location of temperate deciduous biomes

A

in mid latitude areas there is low pressure so high rainfall and no dry season which encourages forest growth

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3
Q

how does temperature influence location of temperate deciduous biomes

A

avergage temperature never drops below freezing which is good for forest growth
cold winters lead to seasonal deciduous trees rather than coniferous or evergreen

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4
Q

what is malthus’ theory

A

population will increase faster than resource production as population increases geometrically (1,2,4,8,16) but resources increase arithmetically (1,2,3,4,5)
this will lead to a crisis in food supply and a declining population

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5
Q

what is boserup’s theory

A

population and resource supply are in balance as farming technology improves to keep in pace with demand eg farm machinery replacing human labour

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6
Q

what year did malthus propose his theory

A

1798

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7
Q

what year did boserup propose her theory

A

1965

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8
Q

what is the 2030 perfect storm and who proposed it

A

john beddington (uk chief scientific advisor) in 2009:

by 2030 we will be running out of resources as food reserves are at a 50 year low but by 2030 we need to be producing 50% more energy, 50% more food and 30% more water

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9
Q

what is the definition of sustainability

A

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

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10
Q

why are forests so crucial to the hydrological cycle

A

without forests and no trees there would be:

1) soil erosion as no interception so rain hits soil surface directly
2) less infiltration of water into soil meaning groundwater supplies are lower
3) water gets into river channels much faster
4) flooding becomes more frequent and river is dirty due to soil being washed into it
5) soil dries out quickly so evaporation is reduced so less clouds and less rain

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11
Q

what are biotic factors

A

living things eg plants and animals

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12
Q

what are abiotic factors

A

non living things eg atmosphere, water, rock and soil

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13
Q

how do abiotic factors influence biotic factors

A

changes in abiotic factors can alter ecosystem type which changes conditions for biotic parts

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14
Q

what happens with every 1000m increase in altitude

A

temperatures fall by 1 degree c on average

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15
Q

what is a biome

A

global scale ecosystem

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16
Q

what is nutrient cycling

A

recycling of nutrients between living organisms and the environment
there are nutrient stores in biomass, litter and soil

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17
Q

what is an ecosystem

A

living and non living components of an environment and the interrelationships that exist between them

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18
Q

what is sandy soil

A

soil with lots of small air gaps
water drains through it so it feels dry
supports rye, barley and some root crops which have tolerance to drought

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19
Q

what is clay soil

A

soil that has few air gaps
water doesn’t drain quickly so puddles remain for a long time
supports wheat, beans and grass as it holds nutrients

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20
Q

what is chalky soil

A

water drains quickly

supports grass and barley

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21
Q

what is peat

A 
doesn’t contain rock particles 
made from old decayed plants
dark, crumbly, rich in nutrients 
acidic 
supports rough grazing and forestry
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22
Q

why is biodiversity high in rainforests

A

the climate is perfect for year round growth and reproduction

rainforests are ancient and have a stable climate so thousands of species have evolved

multiple layers provide numerous habitats

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23
Q

what are features of the emergent layer

A

hardwood evergreen trees that have broken through the canopy to reach sunlight. monkeys and birds live here

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24
Q

what are features of the canopy layer

A

dense
home to tree snakes, birds, tree frogs and many more as there is so much available food
air plants grow here

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25
Q

what are features of the understory layer

A

lots of vines
thick vegetation
dark as most light is absorbed by canopy
birds, butterflies, frogs, snakes, many insects
contains trees with large leaves to capture sunlight

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26
Q

what are features of the forest floor

A

dark (2% of sunlight reaches floor)
shade loving ferns with large leaves
mammals: jaguar, leopard, tigers, elephants

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27
Q

what are lianas

A

woody creepers rooted to the ground but carried by trees into the canopy

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28
Q

what are buttress roots

A

massive ridges to help support the base of the tall trees and help transport water
helps oxygen and co2 exchange by increasing surface area

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29
Q

why do some leaves have flexible bases

A

helps them to turn to face the sun

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30
Q

why do trees in the TRF have thin smooth bark

A

allows water to flow down the tree easily and stops other plants from growing in tree surfaces

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31
Q

what are epiphytes

A

plants that live on trunks and branches of other plants which allows them to make the most of the sunlight in the canopy layer

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32
Q

what are emergents

A

fast growing trees that out compete other trees to reach sunlight

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33
Q

what is drip trip leaves

A

water runs off them quickly to prevent moss and algae growing on the leaf surface and blocking light

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34
Q

how are evergreen hardwood trees adapted

A

tall, slender trunks with no branches
triangular buttress roots to support weight
leaves and branches only at the top where there is sunlight

35
Q

how are epiphytes adapted

A

live in the canopy on trees
evolved to get all nutrients from water and air rather than soil
roots dangle in mid air

36
Q

how are lianas adapted

A

stems cling to trees and climb up to sunlight in canopy while getting water and nutrients from soil

37
Q

what are drip tip leaves

A

thick waxy leaves with drip tips which means water runs off them quickly to prevent the leaf from rotting

38
Q

how are sloths adapted to live in the TRF

A

huge flaws so they can hang upside down
fur grows away from feet to help shed rain
green algae growing in fur helps camouflage

39
Q

how are primates (lemurs and monkeys) adapted

A

live in canopy where there is most food
long tails for balance
strong claws to grip trees and branches

40
Q

how are big cats (jaguars, tigers, leopards) adapted

A

camouflaged as dark and light patches blend in with shade and sunlight

41
Q

how are birds adapted to the TRF

A

loud calls as it’s easier to hear a mate than see one

parrots and macaws have powerful beaks to break open nuts

42
Q

what is the biosphere

A

the thin layer of living material covering the earth’s surface, made up of ecosystems

43
Q

where do tropical forests grow

A

equatorial regions where temperatures are above 28 degrees all year round and there is continual precipitation from convection where hadley cells meet

44
Q

where are temperate forests found eg UK

A

40-45 degrees north in areas of high rainfall where polar and ferrel cells meet but have seasonal temperatures

45
Q

where is the taiga found

A

far north and are adapted to cope with extreme winter cold and lack of available water

46
Q

where are deserts found

A

25-35 degrees north and south at the descending arm of the hadley cell where there is very low rainfall, extremely high temperatures and long sunshine hours

47
Q

where are grasslands eg tropical savannahs found

A

places with highly seasonal rainfall which in total is too low for tree and forest growth

48
Q

where is the tundra found

A

arctic where temp and rainfall are too low for tree growth and growing season is 3-5 months

49
Q

what is altitudinal zonation of ecosystems

A

temperature falls by 1 degree for every 1000m from sea level

50
Q

in what ways is the tropical rainforest a life support system

A

provides food, traditional medicine, building materials eg timber, fuelwood from trees either burnt directly or used to make charcoal

51
Q

what are the energy commercial uses of forests

A

many have fossil fuels beneath them
gas drilling leads to forest destruction
risk of oil spills and fires
forests are cut down to grow biofuel crops eg palm oil

52
Q

what are the water commercial uses of forests

A

large rivers and high rainfall are ideal for hep
involves constructing large dams and flooding forest areas to create reservoirs
indigenous people are often displaced as well as forests being destroyed

53
Q

what are mineral commercial uses of forests

A

mining for gold, coltan or iron ore is widespread in many forests
this leads to deforestation
waste from mining pollutes rivers and lakes and the pollution can be carried long distances

54
Q

what are the 3 regulating services

A

composition of the atmosphere, soil health/ nutrient cycle and hydrological cycle

55
Q

what is composition of the atmosphere

A

plants sequeater co2 from the atmosphere as they grow but release it back when they die and decay

forests store carbon so destroying forests releases co2 and prevents it from being sequestered

plants put o2 back into the atmosphere

56
Q

what is the nutrient cycle

A

healthy soils contain nutrients
plants remove nutrients from the soil as they grow which are then passed through the ecosystem food web

dead plant and animal matter is called litter, this decays and returns nutrients to the soil

breaking this cycle by deforestation leads to declining soil health

57
Q

what is the hydrological cycle

A

plants intercept falling precipitation slowing it down

plants also absorb water through their roots and prevent surface runoff by slowing down flowing water this prevents flooding and regulates river flow

plants return water to the atmosphere by transpiration which contributes to the formation of clouds and rain

58
Q

why does the tropical rainforest have such high biodiversity

A

equatorial climate as this provides ideal conditions for living organisms

59
Q

what si nutrient cycling

A

a set of processes whereby organisms extract the chemicals they need for growth from the soil and water then pass them on through the food chain and eventually back to the soil and water

60
Q

why are food webs important

A

they support the high biodiversity
they have gradually evolved over hundreds of years
they ensure every creature has its fair share in the available food supply

61
Q

what are 5 characteristics of the taiga forest

A 
short wet summer
long cold dry winters with temp below freezing 
little precipitation 
low sunshine hours 
snow on the ground for months
62
Q

how are coniferous trees adapted to harsh taiga forest

A

conical shape and flexible branches help trees shed heavy snow

shed pine needles are acidic and prevent any species of plant from growing

pine needles have a waxy coating to reduce water loss and frost damage

roots are shallow and wide to avoid roots being frozen

63
Q

why is biodiversity low in the taiga

A

harsh climate means there are few edible plant species so animal species are also limited.
Many animals migrate in winter or hibernate

64
Q

what is net primary productivity (NPP)

A

a measure of how much biomass is added to the biome each year in terms of grams per square metre per year

65
Q

what are 4 ways in which the taiga is different from the tropical rainforest

A

lower npp
less nutrient cycling ( slower flows and smaller stores)
less biodiversity
simpler food webs

66
Q

what are the 2 main causes of deforestation

A

economic development

population growth

67
Q

how does population growth link to deforestation

A

increase in population increases demand for food so to keep up with this land in the trf is cleared for cattle rancing

68
Q

how does deforestation cause climate change

A

trees absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide but when they are felled this stops and more co2 in the atmosphere means more global warming

69
Q

how does global warming threaten the forest

A

increase incidence of drought which casues the amazon to emit co2 rather than absorb it
the dry conditions cause forest fires

70
Q

what are 3 repercussions of droughts

A

nutrient cycles threatened by decomposers dying as litter stock drying out
food supply and food webs disturbed by leaves in canopy dying
less evaporation and transpiration from dying trees so less cloud and rain

71
Q

how will climate change impact the rainforest in the long run

A

cause the rainforest distribution to contract towards the equator and be replaced by tropical grasslands

switch the role of rainforests from carbon sink to carbon source

endanger many animal and plant species so reduce biodiversity

72
Q

what is the main cause of deforestation in the taiga

A

logging to provide:
wood pulp for making paper
building timber
wood chips for making chipboard, fireboard and biofuel

73
Q

why is there less concern about taiga deforestation than TRF deforestation

A

the taiga biome is the largest in the world- only 8% has been cleared so far

taiga is remote and ‘out of sight’

much lower level of biodiversity so less species are at risk

74
Q

what are 4 examples of indirect threats to the taiga

A

pollution of rivers and lakes by the chemcials used in production of wood pulp
strip minin gof minerals
oil and gas extraction with drilling rigs, pipelines and oil spill accidents
hep developments

75
Q

what are natural reasons for forest fires

A

often started by lightning strikes during the short summer
thick carpet of pine needles easily catches light
trees contain a resin that burns easily

76
Q

what are threats to biodiversity in the taiga

A

illegal logging as forest products are valuable
fires
acid rain- gets into soils and lakes and can stress and kill lakes
pests and disease

77
Q

what does cites do ( convention on international trade in endangered species )

A

bans cross border trading in 34,000 endangered plant and animal species. hopes to stop illegal hunting and collecting

78
Q

what does REDD do ( reducing emissions from deforestationa nd forest degradation)

A

UN project aims to stop the clearance and degradation of forests on the grounds of checking global warming

79
Q

what are 3 advantages of CITES

A

backed by 180 countries
protection applies to species in all biomes
successful in outlawing the ivory trade and trade of rare parrots

80
Q

what are disadvantages of CITES

A

protection of species does not halt deforestation
more concern today about reducing causes of global warming
governments have to do the policing and not all developing governments have the resources
species aren’t listed until they are on the brink of extinction

81
Q

what are 3 sustainable forest management strategies

A

selective logging- only felling fully grown trees
agroforestry- allowing crops to be grown in carefully controlled cleared areas along with trees that may be harvested for fuelwood or timber
reforestation - collecting seeds from remaining primary forest, growing seeds into saplings in nurseries and then replanting in deforested areas

82
Q

what is ecotourism

A

environmentally friendly and alternative form of tourism that seeks to minimise ecological impacts of tourists and consumption of non renewable resources

83
Q

what are 3 features of a national park

A

over 1000 hectares
has legal protection and financial support
is open to the public for recreation and leisure but in a controlled way

geography (6 decks)

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