POPULATION AND SUSTAINABILITY Flashcards
What are the 3 phases of a population growth curve?
Phase 1 - slow growth
Phase 2 - rapid growth
Phase 3 - stable state - birth rates and death rates are approx same
What is the definition of limiting factors
Limiting factors prevent further growth of a population
What’s the difference between abiotic and biotic factors
Abiotic are non living factors like temperature light humidity
Biotic factors are living factors like predators disease and competition
What does carrying capacity mean
The max population an environment can support
What are the 2 types of migration
Immigration - movement into an area
Emigration - movement away from an area
What are density independent factors
Factors that have an affect on whole population regardless of its size like volcanoes
What does it mean is an ecosystem is environmentally sensitive
It is less resistant to change so needs management techniques to preserve it
What types of management techniques are used on environmentally sensitive ecosystems
Limit areas tourists can visit
Control movement of live stock
Introduce anti poaching measures
Limit hunting through quotas
What are some environmentally sensitive ecosystems
Galápagos Islands
Snow Donia national park
Antarctica
Lake District
What animals live on the Galápagos Islands
Mostly reptiles
1 mammal - rice rat
What are the 3 regions in the Galápagos Islands
Coastal zone - salt tolerant species
Arid zone - drought tolerant species
Humid zone - dense cloud forest
How did the whaling trade disrupt the Galápagos Islands
Whalers disrupted the ecosystem by allowing domestic animals to roam loose
They chopped forest for fires to render down whale fat and ate giant tortoises that could be kept on the long sea voyages
Why was the Galápagos national park established
To protect the living and non living parts of the ecosystem
Introduced park rangers
Limited human access to particular islands
Controlled migration
Strict control over movement of introduced animals like pigs
What animals are present in Antarctica
Whales
Seals
Penguins
They all have thick layers of blubber to insulate them
How have human activities affected Antarctica’s ecosystem
Plant wide impacts such as global warming and ozone depletion
Hunting of whales and seals has depleted stocks
Soil contamination - in scientific areas
Discharging of waste in the sea
Why was the Antarctica treaty established
To protect the unique nature of the Antarctic continent
Allows scientific cooperation between nations
Protection of Antarctic environment
Conservation of animals and plants
Management of protected areas
Management of tourism
What animals are present in snow donia
Rich diversity of habitats with a range of birds and over 40 species of land mammals
Also a diverse range of plant species
Why was the snow donia national park created and Lake District national park
To conserve the biodiversity in the area and its natural beauty
Promote opportunities for the understanding of the paths special qualities
Ema chance economic and social well being
What are peat bogs
Wet spongy ground that contains decomposing vegetation
What can peat be used for
Once peat dries it can be used as a fuel by releasing thermal energy
By burning it - it releases c02 into the atmosphere
Why is preservation of peat bogs important
It takes many thousands of years for peat bogs to form
It’s important to preserve these as they prevent further climate change
Why do farmers use peat
To mix with soil and increases soils acidity
Peat has moisture retaining properties
How does peat form
When plant material is inhibited from fully decaying by being in acidic and anaerobic conditions
What do peat bogs support and provide
Support a wide range of insects by having a lack of disturbance that makes it also ideal for birds to nest
It has an abundance of insects as it provides food for many species
Support a wide range of insects by having a lack of disturbance that makes it also ideal for birds to nest
It has an abundance of insects as it provides food for many species
Afforestation
Peat extraction
Agricultural intensification
Which have all contributed to drying out bogs
What is the key feature of maintaining low land bogs
To maintain and restore water levels
How do people maintain ans reserve water levels in low land peat bogs to conserve them
Ensure peat is undisturbed and as wet as possible
Removal of seedling trees from the area because trees have a high water requirement
Use controlled grazing to maintain the biodiversity of the peatland