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geography > paper 3- people and the biosphere > Flashcards

paper 3- people and the biosphere Flashcards

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
what are features of the understory layer
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
26
what are features of the forest floor
dark (2% of sunlight reaches floor) shade loving ferns with large leaves mammals: jaguar, leopard, tigers, elephants
27
what are lianas
woody creepers rooted to the ground but carried by trees into the canopy
28
what are buttress roots
massive ridges to help support the base of the tall trees and help transport water helps oxygen and co2 exchange by increasing surface area
29
why do some leaves have flexible bases
helps them to turn to face the sun
30
why do trees in the TRF have thin smooth bark
allows water to flow down the tree easily and stops other plants from growing in tree surfaces
31
what are epiphytes
plants that live on trunks and branches of other plants which allows them to make the most of the sunlight in the canopy layer
32
what are emergents
fast growing trees that out compete other trees to reach sunlight
33
what is drip trip leaves
water runs off them quickly to prevent moss and algae growing on the leaf surface and blocking light
34
how are evergreen hardwood trees adapted
tall, slender trunks with no branches triangular buttress roots to support weight leaves and branches only at the top where there is sunlight
35
how are epiphytes adapted
live in the canopy on trees evolved to get all nutrients from water and air rather than soil roots dangle in mid air
36
how are lianas adapted
stems cling to trees and climb up to sunlight in canopy while getting water and nutrients from soil
37
what are drip tip leaves
thick waxy leaves with drip tips which means water runs off them quickly to prevent the leaf from rotting
38
how are sloths adapted to live in the TRF
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
how are primates (lemurs and monkeys) adapted
live in canopy where there is most food long tails for balance strong claws to grip trees and branches
40
how are big cats (jaguars, tigers, leopards) adapted
camouflaged as dark and light patches blend in with shade and sunlight
41
how are birds adapted to the TRF
loud calls as it’s easier to hear a mate than see one | parrots and macaws have powerful beaks to break open nuts
42
what is the biosphere
the thin layer of living material covering the earth's surface, made up of ecosystems
43
where do tropical forests grow
equatorial regions where temperatures are above 28 degrees all year round and there is continual precipitation from convection where hadley cells meet
44
where are temperate forests found eg UK
40-45 degrees north in areas of high rainfall where polar and ferrel cells meet but have seasonal temperatures
45
where is the taiga found
far north and are adapted to cope with extreme winter cold and lack of available water
46
where are deserts found
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
where are grasslands eg tropical savannahs found
places with highly seasonal rainfall which in total is too low for tree and forest growth
48
where is the tundra found
arctic where temp and rainfall are too low for tree growth and growing season is 3-5 months
49
what is altitudinal zonation of ecosystems
temperature falls by 1 degree for every 1000m from sea level
50
in what ways is the tropical rainforest a life support system
provides food, traditional medicine, building materials eg timber, fuelwood from trees either burnt directly or used to make charcoal
51
what are the energy commercial uses of forests
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
what are the water commercial uses of forests
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
what are mineral commercial uses of forests
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
what are the 3 regulating services
composition of the atmosphere, soil health/ nutrient cycle and hydrological cycle
55
what is composition of the atmosphere
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
what is the nutrient cycle
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
what is the hydrological cycle
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
why does the tropical rainforest have such high biodiversity
equatorial climate as this provides ideal conditions for living organisms
59
what si nutrient cycling
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
why are food webs important
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
what are 5 characteristics of the taiga forest
``` short wet summer long cold dry winters with temp below freezing little precipitation low sunshine hours snow on the ground for months ```
62
how are coniferous trees adapted to harsh taiga forest
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
why is biodiversity low in the taiga
harsh climate means there are few edible plant species so animal species are also limited. Many animals migrate in winter or hibernate
64
what is net primary productivity (NPP)
a measure of how much biomass is added to the biome each year in terms of grams per square metre per year
65
what are 4 ways in which the taiga is different from the tropical rainforest
lower npp less nutrient cycling ( slower flows and smaller stores) less biodiversity simpler food webs
66
what are the 2 main causes of deforestation
economic development | population growth
67
how does population growth link to deforestation
increase in population increases demand for food so to keep up with this land in the trf is cleared for cattle rancing
68
how does deforestation cause climate change
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
how does global warming threaten the forest
increase incidence of drought which casues the amazon to emit co2 rather than absorb it the dry conditions cause forest fires
70
what are 3 repercussions of droughts
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
how will climate change impact the rainforest in the long run
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
what is the main cause of deforestation in the taiga
logging to provide: wood pulp for making paper building timber wood chips for making chipboard, fireboard and biofuel
73
why is there less concern about taiga deforestation than TRF deforestation
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
what are 4 examples of indirect threats to the taiga
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
what are natural reasons for forest fires
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
what are threats to biodiversity in the taiga
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
what does cites do ( convention on international trade in endangered species )
bans cross border trading in 34,000 endangered plant and animal species. hopes to stop illegal hunting and collecting
78
what does REDD do ( reducing emissions from deforestationa nd forest degradation)
UN project aims to stop the clearance and degradation of forests on the grounds of checking global warming
79
what are 3 advantages of CITES
backed by 180 countries protection applies to species in all biomes successful in outlawing the ivory trade and trade of rare parrots
80
what are disadvantages of CITES
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
what are 3 sustainable forest management strategies
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
what is ecotourism
environmentally friendly and alternative form of tourism that seeks to minimise ecological impacts of tourists and consumption of non renewable resources
83
what are 3 features of a national park
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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