SCIENCE BIOLOGY (Chpt 12 - Interactions with Ecosystems) Flashcards
finite resources
- limited in availability/number
- non-renewable resources (e.g. fossil fuel)
overfishing
- lead to depletion of fish population
- makes it difficult for fish stocks to recover
Human actions/activities
- Positive impacts: reduce use of single-use plastic bags + using cleaner energy
- Negative impacts: Impact our environment and affect survival of other living things (e.g. deforestation)
Human activities - burning fossil fuels and deforestation (negative impact)
- speed up climate change
- led to various consequences
- e.g. rising sea levels, more frequent extreme weather events and shifts in ecosystem
Human activities - deforestation (negative impact)
- forests cleared to meet increasing demands for land and materials such as wood
Undesirable effects of deforestation
- Destruction of habitats for many species of animals
- Extinction and reduction in biodiversity
- Global warming
Global warming
Without trees to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, concentration of carbon dioxide in atmosphere and annual rainfall in the area will increase
Wasting food
- deplete valuable resources
- e.g. water, energy, minerals and other resources used for food production
Excessive use of electricity
- depletes finite fossil fuels at a faster rate
- leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions (more fossil fuels burned for electricity generation)
- contributes to climate change and its associated environmental impacts
Excessive use of water
- deplete limited freshwater resources available for human consumption and other essential uses (e.g. cooking, showering)
Generating excessive waste + improper disposal of waste
- results in pollution in air, water and land
- has harmful effects on environment and organisms that inhabit it
Maintain a stable ecosystem
Conserve an environment + organisms living in it –> helps maintain stability of ecosystem
- one part of ecosystem destroyed: unstable (affects entire ecosystem)
conserving the environment
we use only the amount of resources that we need
+ve of conserving the environment
- helps finite resources last longer
- reduces greenhouse gas emissions + effects of climate change
Ways to address deforestation + its negative impact
- Planting new trees- help forest grow
- Promoting eco-tourism - help increase public awareness of rainforest: allows people to benefit economically from rainforest without contributing to its destruction
- Laws can be passed to protect forests - prohibit logging: reduces deforestation
- Agroforestry - letting trees grow beside crops: reduces extent of deforestation
- Selective logging - allows younger trees to grow: also allows forests. to reach full maturity again in a shorter time
Ways to conserve the environment - reducing use of fossil fuels
Actions to take:
- take public transport or walk instead of taking a car
- use energy-efficient appliances
+ve outcome:
fewer fossil fuels burnt to generate energy –> can last longer
Ways to conserve the environment - reducing consumption
Actions to take:
- consume less
- avoid unnecessary purchases
+ve outcome:
reduce need for new raw materials (e.g. wood) –> minimises waste + reduce deforestation
Ways to conserve the environment - introducing environmentally friendly practices
Actions to take:
- adopt sustainability and eco-friendly behaviours (e.g. using recycled bags)
+ve outcome:
help reduce greenhouse gas emissions + mitigate climate change
Ways to conserve the environment - reforestation
Actions to take:
- plant trees
- restore deforested areas
+ve outcomes:
- trees help restore carbon dioxide through photosynthesis + reduce amount of carbon dioxide in air
- trees protect soil –> stores carbon
Ecosystem
made up of the interaction between a community and its physical environment
Ecology
scientific study of interactions
- among organisms
and
- between organisms and their physical environments
Population
living organisms of the same kind/species in the same area at a particular time
Community
interaction of all populations within an area
Habitat
an environment in which a species normally lives
