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Enviromental Science > Selected habitats > Flashcards

Selected habitats Flashcards

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1
Q

what are the dominant tree species in british broadleaf woodlands and what soil are the common amongst

A

beech - moist soil / ash - on alkaline soil / oak - wide range of tolerance

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2
Q

state 5 ecological features of temperate broadleaf woodlands

A

don’t have major temperature extremes / no pronounced dry season - water always available / soils are usually deep and fertile / tree canopy layer is present until spring til autumn / animals hibernate due to lack of food in winter

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3
Q

how does in a temperate broadleaf woodland, the canopy layer being present from spring til autumn affect growth of plants and how do they overcome this

A

under the canopy layer it’s shaded so growth of plants is more difficult as they’re shaded at time when temperatures are best for growth - overcome by growing lots in the early in the spring before trees produce leaves

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4
Q

name 5 importances of broadleaf woodlands

A

high biodiversity / woodland resources / recreation / the hydrological cycle / carbon sequestration

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5
Q

why is high biodiversity an importance of broadleaf woodlands

A

creates higher ecological stability, no species are completely dominant so a change in population would have a relatively small impact on overall community

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6
Q

name woodland resources of temperate broadleaf woodlands

A

building construction / fencing / tools / carts / wood fuels / charcoal / food resource for animals and plants

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7
Q

how d temperate broadleaf woodlands play a role in the hydrological cycle

A

through interception, evapotranspiration, and control of water in the soil

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8
Q

how does carbon sequestration involved in temperate broadleaf woodlands

A

plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and release it during respiration and decay of vegetation / woody tissue plants build up carbon in cellulose and lignin, large reservoirs of stored carbon which reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide conc

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9
Q

name 2 threats to temperate broadleaf woodlands

A

woodland clearance - natural woodland provide space for: farmland, urban development, transportation infrastructure, mineral extraction / habitat fragmentation - woodland clearance leaves remaining areas isolated, animals cannot move between areas and separate populations, becomes vulnerable to extinction

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10
Q

name a conservation efforts for temperate broadleaf woodlands

A

woodland management

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11
Q

name 3 types of woodland management

A

historical management / modern methods / conservation methods

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12
Q

what is woodland management

A

creating different woodlands for different wildlife value

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13
Q

state ecological features of tropical rainforests

A

stable climate change / high light levels / constant warm temperatures and high rainfall / no distinct seasons

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14
Q

how does climate change in a tropical rainforest affect species

A

relatively stable climate change, given species a long time to evolve, many species are produced but they have a low range of tolerance due to being adapted to relatively stable conditions

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15
Q

how do constant warm temperatures and high rainfall in a tropical rainforest affect the species

A

ensures reliable food supplies throughout the year, little seasonal fluctuations- no need to migrate or hibernate

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16
Q

how do having no distinct seasons in a tropical rainforest affect the rainforest

A

plant species don’t need to flower or produce seeds and fruit at the same time, so less competition. food is available to animal all year around, increasing animal survival

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17
Q

why is tropical rainforests having a very high biodiversity important

A

increases chances of finding species that are useful to humans / plants and animals protect themselves with toxic chemicals, medicinal value

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18
Q

how are tropical rainforests important in climate maintenance

A

increase downwind rainfall, most rainfall comes from water evaporated from the rain forest rather than seawater, large carbon storage reduces natural greenhouse effect

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19
Q

how is soil maintenance affected by tropical rainforests

A

warm moist conditions make dead vegetation decay very rapidly, nutrients can be re-absorbed by trees - makes soil shallow, vegetation cover prevents soil being eroded

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20
Q

name 3 main threats to tropical rainforests

A

fuelwood collection / timber harvesting / clearance for alternative land uses

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21
Q

what are tropical rainforests cleared for

A

subsistence agriculture - ‘slash and burn’ or ‘shifting field’ caused environmental problems / commercial agriculture - space used for farmland, for cash crops and export / mineral extraction / reservoirs / climate change - can affect survival of some species, cause fires, reduced humidity / tourism facilities

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22
Q

what conservation efforts are used for tropical rainforest

A

debt for nature swaps - instead of paying back debt they pay partial repayment or a guarantee that an area of rainforest will be protected

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23
Q

name ecological features of tropical coral reefs

A

water is deficient of nutrients, biological productivity may be low

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24
Q

where does coral nutrition come from

A

cilia, trap planktonic items floating past polyp and passed down stomach where they’re digested / nematocysts - stinging cells, harpoon planktonic organisms floating past polyp / symbiotic algae - photosynthetic organisms, live inside coral polyp and absorb sunlight and food for themselves, produce oxygen and glucose for polyps, use carbon dioxide released by polyps for photosynthesis to reduce amount in water

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25
Q

what are reef building corals

A

corals that secrete limestone base which i continuously building up into a reef

26
Q

what impact does light intensity have on coral reefs

A

photosynthesis for symbiotic algae

27
Q

what impact does immersion have on coral reefs

A

polyps must be covered in water at all times to prevent them from drying out, can’t live in deep water otherwise not enough sunlight

28
Q

what impact does turbidity have on coral reefs

A

must have low turbidity, as it reduces light penetration = reduced photosynthesis, suspended solids in water settles on reef, sticks to cilia and blocks entrance to the stomach

29
Q

what impact does salinity have on coral reefs

A

coral polyps can’t regulate water conc within their cells, salinity changes and narrow range of tolerance means cells would be killed due to osmosis

30
Q

name 5 importances of coral reefs

A

fisheries / medicinal discoveries / climate control / erosion protection / tourism

31
Q

name 2 medical uses from sources from coral reefs

A

AZT drug for aids from chemical in sponge from coral reef / coral, makes bone grafts for patients with bone deterioration disease

32
Q

how do coral reefs impact climate control

A

deposit skeleton of coral with each polyp, coral made mainly of calcium carbonate which absorbs carbon dioxide, growing reef acts as important carbon sink

33
Q

name some threats to coral reefs

A

physical damage - objects can kill polyps / collection of souvenirs / sedimentation, disturbs coastal development / pollution, can harm corals, large oil spill covers reef, eutrophication, ocean acidification - from increased co2 conc which dissolves in the oceans / coral bleaching, when symbiotic algae in coral polyps is expelled, mainly caused by increased light levels/ fishing, over-fishing reducing fish populations / introduced species - spread and can reduce indigenous species / coastal developments / loss of associated habitats - eg mangroves and seagrass that helps trap suspended solids and reduce soil turbidity

34
Q

name some conservation efforts for coral reefs

A

marine protected area / control of fishing / control of tourism / sustainable exploitation / reef creation

35
Q

how do marine protected areas protect coral reefs

A

fixed mooring buoys so no anchors / divers, snorkelers and swimmers taught not to touch coral / fishing may be banned or controlled / sustainable development of ecotourism and fishing / environmental protection of other areas may protect eg mangroves and seabeds

36
Q

name ecological features of deep water coral reefs

A

coral polyps don’t have symbiotic photosynthetic algae, less food energy so they grow more slowly, so recover more slowly

37
Q

state the importance on deep coral reefs

A

support large biomasses of fish (but they’re slowly growing species with low reproductive rate, easy to over exploit)

38
Q

state threats to deep coral reefs

A

over exploited fish populations, killed by lots of by-catch species - slow growth rate means ages to grow back / oil xpansion and gas exploration is a future threat / increased co2 release levels gradually cause acidification

39
Q

name a conservation effort for deep coral reefs

A

protected areas have been established to stop damaging activities eg trawling

40
Q

state ecological features of oceanic islands

A

isolation and biodiversity - due to formation by volcanic eruptions marine and seabirds colonise easily and some other species by chance, low biodiversity due to difficulty to colonise / lack of mammal predators, difficult for them to colonise

41
Q

what is the importance of oceanic islands

A

high proportion of endemic species increases probability of discovering unique medicines and features for biomimetics

42
Q

what threats are posed to oceanic islands

A

exploitation of species, normally for food / introduced species, indigenous species aren’t adapted, indigenous plant species destroyed, lack of predators allows populations of non-indigenous to become very large, introduced may out compete, pathogens / habitat change/destruction from urban, agricultural and tourism developments

43
Q

name a conservation effort that for oceanic islands

A

involves attempting to stop or reverse damaging affects of human actions eg eradication of introduced species

44
Q

state ecological features of mangroves

A

dominated by halophytic trees that live near inter tidal areas with saline water, adapted to survive saline, anaerobic and stormy conditions, and extreme temperature and availability of water

45
Q

state 6 importances of mangroves

A

biodiversity / coastal erosion protection (vegetation and prop roots absorb energy from wave) / fisheries / protection of coral reefs (slows down suspended solids to settle before they reach corals) / resources (timber) / medicinal resources (cyanobacterium treats small cell lung cancer)

46
Q

state threats to mangroves

A

growth of human population and expansion of economic developments causes huge scale mangrove destruction

47
Q

what conservation efforts are being made for mangroves

A

legally protected areas / natural recolonisation or replanting by people, natural regeneration can be quick due to producing seeds that germinate before they fall off the parent tree

48
Q

name some ecological features of Antartica

A

large landmass / very cold -49 / low precipitation with snow falling mainly near land mass

49
Q

name 3 importances of Antartica

A

control of natural cycles / resources / research

50
Q

why is Antartica important for the control of natural cycles

A

ice on land is a huge store of water, long term storage has kept global sea levels relatively low / ice has high albedo so sunlight is reflected away reducing warming effect / carbon present in algae is eaten by krill, sinks to seabed in krill faeces, carbon sequestration

51
Q

why is Antartica important for resources

A

harvested biological resources eg krill and fish / exploitation of mineral resources but there’s known reserves of gold, nickel, silver, coal and oil there

52
Q

why is Antartica important for research

A

most isolated place on earth so human influences are small / good for astronomical research as little pollution interference from light, infrared or radio waves and little cloud cover to block / climate is relatively stable and predictable so good for climate research / unique wildlife makes it important for ecological research

53
Q

name some threats to Antartica

A

global climate change / ozone depletion / tourism / scientific research / overfishing / future mineral exploitation

54
Q

what threat does global climate change pose to Antartica

A

rises in temp causes sea level rise, would melt some ice (not too much as it’s cold) results in glaciers moving more rapidly towards the ocean, ice shelves that block seaward movement of glaciers could break up, enabling glaciers to move more quickly, ice shelves break into icebergs and float away removing the barrier to land ice behind which could flow into the sea

55
Q

despite rising temperature, area of sea ice which forms each winter shows an upward trend, explain why this may be

A

stronger winds spread ice further / warmer air holds more water vapour, causing more snow to fall and creates slush which freeze together and form ice / ice on land that flows into the sea produces layer of floating fresh water which freezes more easily that seawater

56
Q

why is melting of sea ice a bigger deal than melting of land ice

A

land ice is much thicker so no significant reduction but sea ice is thin so warming creates reduction in sea ice area, reducing albedo of ocean and allows warming as sunlight is absorbed

57
Q

what threat does ozone depletion pose to Antartica

A

planktonic organisms that live in surface water are more vulnerable to raised UV level, no thick fur/feathers (land organisms aren’t affected much)

58
Q

what threat does tourism pose to Antartica

A

disturbs wildlife / introduces non-indigenous pathogens / pollution caused by fuel, sewage and waste increases

59
Q

what threat does scientific research pose to Antartica

A

carrying it out increases risk of impacts such as pollution events and wildlife disturbance

60
Q

what threat does overfishing pose to Antartica

A

dramatically reduced populations / threatens species that rely on that species eg food supply / birds can get caught in longlining lines

61
Q

name some conservation efforts to conserve Antartica

A

the Antarctic treaty 1959 / conservation of living organisms commission for conservation of Antarctic marine living resources (CCAMLS) fisheries close if populations become over exploited / control of tourism, no holiday, accompanied by training guides, no litter, wearing protective clothing / waste management, must be removed or sealed, placed into sea current where it will disperse and dilute / no military activity / no resource exploitation

Enviromental Science (12 decks)

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