people and the biosphere Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

what is an ecosystem

A

a grouping of plants and animals that interact with each other and their local environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

define a biome

A

global-scale ecosystem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

name the 9 biomes in order

A
other/ice 
tundra 
taiga 
deciduos forest 
temperate grassland 
mediterranean 
desert
savannah 
tropical rainforest
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

give examples of global factors

A

sunshine
temperature
precipitation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

how do global factors affect the distribution of biomes

A

e.g desert is very hot and receives little precipitation because it is located in between Hadley and Ferrel cells where hot, dry air descends creating low biodiversity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

how can the taiga be protected with protected wilderness areas

A

protected wilderness areas prevent any exploitation of natural resources by informing visitors, researching how to protect the area, and protecting the animals and plants.
However, they cannot protect migrating species, and where the taiga has oil and gas there is a lot of pressure for governments to develop them. If parks are far from cities, few tourists will visit them and money from tourism helps parks fund their conservation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what are alternative livelihoods

A

selective logging
eco-tourism
afforestation
agroforestry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what is CITES

A

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

+large influence +targets correct problem
-hard to enforce rules -difficult to monitor all countries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what is REDD

A

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation

+ large funding
-vague = palm tree plantations are still being funded

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what are the direct threats to the Taiga

A

commercial development

logging

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what are the indirect threats to the taiga

A

mining
HEP
oil extractions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

give characteristics of the taiga

A

the taiga has long extremely cold winters when plants cannot grow
mild summers
less than 500mm rainfall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what are the costs and benefits of wind energy

A

+clean +no air pollution +cheap

-visual pollution -bird deaths

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what are the costs and benefits of solar energy

A

+creates jobs +little maintenance + no noise

-takes us farmland -damages desert habitats

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what are the costs and benefits of HEP’s

A

+reliable +flexible +can regulate water supply

-flooding -expensive -alters the river

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

why are we exploiting ecologically sensitive areas

A

growing demand leads to exploitation

provides employment

boosts exploiters economy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what are Athabasca tar sands

A

a place with a large amount of bitumen that can be refined into petroleum.

18
Q

what are the unconventional methods of oil and gas sources

A

fracking
drilling and injecting water under high pressure, this creates new channels in the rock, allowing the gas to be extracted at higher than traditional rates
Athabasca tar sands
steam out tar so that it can be collected

19
Q

how can we be more energy efficient

A

solar panels
insulation
green energy suppliers
LED lighting

20
Q

how do accessibility and development affect the distribution of energy resources

A

places with more money can afford to access and import energy

21
Q

how does geology affect the distribution of energy resources

A

fossil fuels are found in sedimentary rock

22
Q

how can resources be classified

A

non-renewable
renewable
recyclable

23
Q

how do relief and climate affect the distribution of energy resources

A

regions with high rainfall are suitable for HEP’s
places with high wind are suitable for wind turbines
Sunny places are suitable for solar panels

24
Q

what is ESPO

A

East Siberian Pacific Ocean

pipeline that carries oil from Russia to China but has expanded to the Pacific

25
Q

what is OPEC

A

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries

governmental organisation of oil exporters and producers that influence oil price and supply

26
Q

how are oil supplies and prices affected by the recession

A

less demand = prices fall

27
Q

how are oil supplies and prices affected by conflict

A

prices rise

28
Q

how are oil supplies and prices affected by peace

A

prices can either rise or fall

29
Q

how are oil supplies and prices affected by an economic boom

A

prices rise

30
Q

how are oil supplies and prices affected by oversupply

A

prices fall

31
Q

what can affect oil supply and price

A
peace
conflict
oversupply
undersupply 
recession
economic boom
32
Q

how has global consumption of oil changed

A

it has been rising due to increased demand (since 1990)
developing regions have been using more
developed regions have been using less

33
Q

what is the distribution of oil reserves

A

Middle East has the largest reserve

34
Q

what is the distribution of oil production

A

Saudi Arabia, USA, and Russia are the largest producers

35
Q

what impact does extracting energy resources have on the environment

A
scarred landscapes 
oil leaks 
damage to habitats
pollution
increased greenhouse effect
36
Q

what causes variation in energy use

A

economic development

economic sector

traditional fuel sources - in many developing countries biomass is used domestically, no direct electricity

37
Q

what are the global patterns of energy use

A

population and GDP growth over the last 100 years has lead to an increased demand for energy

38
Q

what are the physical factors affecting the development of renewable resources?

A
amount of precipitation 
amount of sunshine
amount of wind 
relief 
climate
39
Q

what are the human factors affecting the development of renewable resources

A

cost
education
change in technology

40
Q

how does the environment affect the development of unconventional oil and gas resources

A

ecologically sensitive areas

type of rock - needs to be sedimentary

41
Q

why protect the taiga

A

it has a very fragile ecosystem and takes a very long time to recover from damages
highly specialised species that cannot adapt to climate change as quickly
a small amount of species so a disease that affects one species can affect the whole ecosystem

42
Q

how can sustainable forestry help protect the taiga

A

For every tree that has been cut down, another taiga specific tree is planted
However, it is costly and long term, so only big companies can afford to do this. Smaller companies want to maximise profits and cut down as many trees before their lease runs out