Section B - Ecosystems Flashcards
Define Ecosystems
is made up of plants, animals and their surrounding physical environments including soil, rainwater and sunlight. (Biotic and Abiotic)
What is the difference between Biotic and Abiotic?
Biotic- refers to living things such as plants and animals
Abiotic- refers to non-living things such as the ecosystem’s physical environment which can be soil/rainwater/sunlight.
What are the Interrelationships of an Ecosystem?
Sunshine is needed for plants in photosynthesis, Decomposers break dead plants and release nutrients into the soil, and roots are weathered to create soil that plants need to grow.
What are the Nutrient Cycle store and Transfers?
Stores- Biomass -> Litter -> Soil ->Biomass
Transfers- Littering then Decomposition then Plant Uptake. Litter is also fed by rainfall however some nutrients escape through surface runoff. Soil is also fed by weathered rock however some nutrients are lost through leaching ( loss of nutrients from the top layer of soil by percolating precipitation).
Give the four categories in a biomass pyramid.
Producers (Plant) -> Primary Consumers (Grasshopper) -> Secondary Consumer (Sparrow) -> Tertiary Consumer (Hawk)
Explain how nutrients are lost at each level in a biomass pyramid.
Energy is lost at each level as energy is used by the animals and plants in respiration to stay alive. Also, not all parts of the plants are consumed by animals and not all of the prey is consumed such as bones and much of what the animals do eat is excreted.
What are the 7 Human Causes of Ecosystem Changes?
Deforestation, Hunting, WIldfire, Invasive Species, Eutrophication (nutrient-induced increases in phytoplankton productivity thus consuming oxygen from water), Climate Change, Altering Drainage.
What are the 4 Natural Causes of Ecosystem Changes?
Extreme Weathers, Diseases, Wildfires, Climate Change
What are the effects of Ecosystem Changes?
If species numbers go extinct its predators would reduce in population due to a decrease in prey and its food source would increase in population due to a decrease in predators.
Explain Rewilding.
When you release captive animals back into the wild to restore balance in the ecosystem
Define a global biome or a global ecosystem`
a larger scale ecosystem, where the vegetation is adapted to the climate of the area.
What are the 8 major global biomes?
Tropical Rainforest, Deserts, Tropical Grassland/Savanna, Temperate Grasslands, Mediterranean, Deciduous Forests, Coniferous Forests, Tundra/Cold Deserts.
Define Tropical RAinforests
Found along the equator where highly concentrated sun rays cause moist hot air to rise to create hot humid conditions
Define Deserts
Found along the tropics where warm air lost its moisture leading to dry conditions
Define Tropical Grassland/Savanna
Located between the Tropical Rainforests and deserts so gets mixed conditions due to air movements.
Define Temperate Grasslands
located between 40-60 degrees of the equator where short tussock and feather grass dominates the landscapes.
Define the Mediterranean
drought-resistant vegetation dominates the landscapes between 30-40 degrees of the equator.
Define Deciduous Forests
grow in places of high latitudes where sun rays are weaker and trees shed their leaves
Define Coniferous Forests
Found 60 degrees north of the equator where coldness is due to a lack of insulation and trees adapted to conditions
Define Tundra/Cold Deserts
Found around the arctic circle where it is extremely cold and has no sunlight for half of the year.
What are the 6 Climate-Affecting Factors?
Latitude, Altitude, Ocean Currents, Distance from Sea, Air Masses, Mountain Ranges
Explain Latitude
As you get further from the equator the temperature decreases as sun rays become less concentrated due to the curved surface area of the Earth
Explain Altitude
For every 100 metres, you climb the temperature drops by 1 degree as air is less dense thus can’t hold as much heat
Explain Ocean Currents
Warm ocean current have more evaporation and bring warmth while cold ocean current has little evaporation and brings coolness
Explain Distance from Sea
Land heats and cools faster than the sea
Explain Air Masses
If air comes from the sea it’s wet and from land it’s dry
Explain Mountain Ranges
Prevents rain clouds from going to another side
Ecosystem Case Study Epping Forest- Location
Located east of London,
Ecosystem Case Study Epping Forest- Name 3 Key Facts
Epping Forest is all that remains of a larger forest that colonised England at the end of the last ice age. Bogs and ponds in the forest have their unique species, including 20 kinds of dragonflies. For 1000 years, Epping Forest has been managed in a variety of ways: as hunting grounds for royalty, timber resources, and recreation.
Ecosystem Case Study Epping Forest- Describe the Food Web with Evidence
Large numbers of native trees including oak, elm ash, and beech. Lower shrub Layer of Holly, Hazel at 5 metres, overlying a field layer of grasses, brambles, bracken, flowering plants including 9 amphibian and reptile species 38 bird species and 700 important species of fungi that are decomposers.
