PEE 2.2 Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services Flashcards
– a large, relatively distinct region
with a similar climate, soil, plants, and
animals, regardless of where it occurs in
the world.
BIOME
Are most likely to occur
in the absence of human disturbance or
other disruptions, according to average
annual temperature and precipitation.
Terrestrial biomes
Biomes where annual precipitation is low and often scattered unevenly throughout the year.
Deserts
Biomes that occur primarily in the interiors of continents, in areas that are too moist for deserts
to form and too dry for forests to grow.
Grasslands
Lands that are dominated by trees.
Forests
Aquatic portions of the biosphere that can support life
AQUATIC LIFE ZONES
three major Marine life zones:
❑ Coastal zone
❑ Open sea
❑ Ocean bottom
The warm, nutrient-rich, shallow water that extends from the high-tide mark on land to the
gently sloping, shallow edge of the continental shelf. It makes up less than 10% of the world’s
ocean area, but it contains 90% of all marine species and is the site of most large commercial
marine fisheries.
Coastal Zone
Where a river meets the sea. It is a partially enclosed body of water where seawater mixes with the river’s freshwater, as well as nutrients and pollutants in runoff from the land.
Estuary
Freshwater that flows or is stored in bodies of
water on the earth’s surface.
Precipitation that does not sink into the ground
or evaporate
Surface water
Body of freshwater surrounded by land
and whose water does not flow.
Standing-Water Ecosystems
3 Standing-Water Ecosystems
LAKES
PONDS
INLAND WETLANDS
Standing-Water Ecosystems
2 TYPES OF INLAND WETLANDS
Marsh
Swamp
Dominated by grasslike plants
Marsh
Dominated by woody trees
or shrubs
Swamp
Freshwater ecosystem in which
water flows in a current.
Flowing-Water Ecosystems
2 Types of Flowing-Water Ecosystems
RIVERS
STREAMS
Human Impacts on Freshwater Aquatic Ecosystems
- Dams and canals restrict the flows
- Flood control levees and dikes built along rivers
- Cities and farms add pollutants
- Many inland wetlands have been drained or filled to grow crops or have been covered with concrete, asphalt, and buildings.
Five-point plan through ecosystems approach:
- Map the world’s terrestrial ecosystems and create an inventory of the species contained in
each of them, along with the ecosystem services they provide. - Identify terrestrial ecosystems that are resilient and can recover if not overwhelmed by
harmful human activities, along with ecosystems that are fragile and need protection. - Protect the most endangered terrestrial ecosystems and species, with emphasis on
protecting plant biodiversity and ecosystem services. - Seek to restore as many degraded ecosystems as possible.
- Make development biodiversity-friendly by providing significant financial incentives (such as
tax breaks and subsidies) and technical help to private landowners who agree to help protect
endangered ecosystems
Areas especially rich in highly endangered species that are found nowhere else.
Biodiversity hotspots
Can partially reverse much of this harm
Ecological restoration
Returning a degraded habitat or ecosystem to a condition as similar as possible to
its natural state in cases where this is feasible.
Restoration
Turning a degraded ecosystem into a functional or useful ecosystem without
trying to restore it to its original condition. Examples include removing pollutants from
abandoned mining or industrial sites and replanting trees to reduce soil erosion in clear-cut
forests.
Rehabilitation
