Physical Georgraphy- The Living World Flashcards
What is the name of tropical soils?
Latosol
What is a decomposer?
An organism that gets its energy by breaking down dead material, eg dead producers and fallen leaves.
Eg bacteria and fungi
What is the New Forest in Hampshire used for specifically?
Local mills make fencing products
20million visitors each year
100+ miles of cycle tracks
50,000 tonnes of timber per year
In what ways is the New Forest managed? (3)
Areas of trees cleared are replanted or restored to other habitats like heathland
Visitors encouraged to stick to footpaths
Users asked to act responsibly by info at the National Park Forest Centre and local information points
What are the 4 layers of rainforest and what heights are they?
Shrub layer- 0-10m
Under canopy- 20m
Main canopy- 30m
Emergent layer-40m
What are the soils in the rainforest like?
Not very fertile as rain washes nutrients away.
Nutrients on the surface due to decaying leaves, but this layer is thin due to fast decay in the warm moist conditions
Name 4 plant adaptations for plants in tropical rainforests
Thick waxy leaves with drip tips
Tall trees have thick buttress roots to support them in the shallow soils
Climbing plants such as lianas use tree trunks to reach light
Deciduous- drop leaves in drier periods to reduce water loss
What is the name for thick roots plants in the rainforest have to support themselves in the shallow soil?
Buttress roots
What is the climate of a tropical rainforest like?
Hot
Wet
No definite seasons
Name 4 plant adaptations in hot deserts
Long and spread out roots
Cacti have swollen stems and waxy skin
Smaller leaves
Seeds only germinate when it rains. Grow very quickly
What is the soil like in deciduous forests?
Deep and fertile because there is a thick layer of leaf fall
What are the 3 plant layers of deciduous forests?
Ground level- undergrowth eg brambles, moss, ferns
Middle level (shrub layer) smaller trees eg hawthorn. 5-20m tall
Top layer (trees) eg oak around 30m tall
Name 2 plant adaptations of plants in deciduous forest?
Deciduous trees drop their leaves in autumn. Reduces water loss in dry months
Wild flowers like bluebells grow on the forest floor in spring before trees block out the light
Name 3 things deciduous forests can be used for
Timber
Timber products
Recreation
Give the 3 ways that deciduous forests are sustainably managed to conserve them for the future
Controlled felling
Replanting
Planning for recreational use
What is controlled felling?
Instead of clearing all the trees in an area, only some trees are cut down, e.g. trees over certain age or just one species. This is less damaging as trees can regenerate
What is the case study for deciduous forest?
The New Forest in Hampshire
What are the environmental impacts of deforestation?(7)
Less habitats for animals
No trees to old soil together=soil erosion
Soil washed into rivers=pollution
Water not caught by tree canopy or roots so soil fertility washed down into the earth
No leaf fall so less fertile soil
Less co2 removed from atmosphere as trees cannot photosynthesise
Without trees water isn’t removed from soil and evaporated so fewer clouds form and rainfall is reduced
Economic impacts of deforestation?(2)
Logging, farming, mining= jobs
Money made from selling timber and commercial farming
How many tonnes of timber does the New Forest produce each year?
50,000
How many miles of cycle tracks are there in the New Forest?
100+
What are the 5 main causes of deforestation?
Farming Mineral extraction Commercial logging Population pressure Road building
How many people visit the New Forest each year?
20 million
What are the social impacts of deforestation?(good and bad)(4)
More jobs for people so quality of life increases
Some livelihoods destroyed- loss of animals and plants
Native tribes forced to move
Conflict between natives, landowners, mining and logging companies
What is the soil in hot deserts like?
Shallow
Coarse, gravelly texture
Hardly any leaf fall so not very fertile
Name the 7 ways tropical rainforests can be sustainably managed
Selective logging Replanting Reducing demand for hardwood Education Ecotourism Reducing debt Protection
Name the two less damaging forms of selective logging
Helicopter logging
Horse logging
What are two examples of expensive hardwood tropical rainforests are cut down for?
Mahogany
Teak
…………… ………. guarantee that borrowed money is spent on conservation- part of a country’s debt is paid off by someone else in exchange for investment in conservation.
Conservation swaps
What is the case study for tropical rainforest deforestation?
The Amazon Rainforest
How many km2 does the Amazon Rainforest cover?
8 million
Since …… over ………..km2 of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed by deforestation
1970
600,000km2
Between 2000 and 2005, in the amazon, deforestation was caused by…
60% cattle ranching 33% small scale subsistence farming 3% logging 3% mining, urbanisation, roads, dams and fires 1% large scale commercial farming
Environmental and social impacts of deforestation in the Amazon?(5)
Habitat destruction
Release of co2
Local ways of life affected- eg Brazilian rubber tappers
Native tribes forced to move- eg Guarani tribe
Conflict between land owners, subsistence farmers and native people- eg 2009 Peru riots
The number of endangered species in Brazil increased from …… in ….. to ….. in …..
218 in 1989
628 in 2008
The Amazon stores around …… ……….. tonnes of carbon- deforestation will release some of this as CO2
100 million
What is the tribe in Brazil that has had to move because their land was taken?
Guarani tribe
What are the economic impacts of deforestation in the Amazon?(2)
Farming makes a lot of money- 2008 brazil made $6.9 billion from trading cattle
Mining industry creates jobs- eg Buenaventura Mining Company in Peru employ over 3100 people
