Sustaining Ecosystems Flashcards
What is an ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of plants and animals whose lives are closely linked to each other and to the climate and soil of the area in which they grow or live.
What does interdependent mean
That two or more things rely on each other for things such as shelter or food
What components are in an ecosystem
Biotic
Abiotic - like Climate and soils
What is Biomass
The mass, or weight, of living material
What is Litter
Rotting leaves on the ground below growing vegetation
What is Soil
A mixture of weathered rock and organic matter (decomposed plants)
What is surface runoff
It is when water washes the nutrients in the litter away.
What is leaching
It is a loss of nutrients by them dissolving in water.
What is Littering
Dead leaves falling from plants onto the litter.
What is a trophic cascade?
The transfer of energy through different living things
Describe the 4 inputs & outputs in/out of the nutrient cycle
Weathering of parent rock which will add more of it to the soil as it is a key ingredient to soil
Rainfall which adds more nutrients to the litter but to much can cause one of the outputs, surface run-off. Surface run-off is when water washes over the litter taking lots of nutrients into rivers or lakes.
Leaching which is when the nutrients dissolve in water.
What are producers
Producers are plants that get their energy from the sun to carry out photosynthesis
What are primary consumers
Primary consumers are the animals that eat the producers for food, they are herbivores e.g. Cows, pigs
What are secondary consumers
Secondary consumers are the animals that eat the primary consumers for food, they are carnivores e.g. Snakes
What are Tertiary consumers
These are the top carnivores in that biome and will normally eat most animals e.g. wolves
Why is energy lost between the levels of the food chain?
Because animals and plants will use up energy to carry out processes to keep them alive, such as respiration.
What are biomes?
Biomes are natural ecosystems that are found all around the world. At a large scale, these ecosystems are known as biomes.
What does ‘deciduous’ mean
When a plant grows during the summer when the temperature is warm and shed their leaves in winter.
Describe the water cycle in a tropical rainforest
Heavy daily rain is intercepted by the trees in the canopy layer but some reaches the ground.
The trees uptake the water on the ground and the water they caught
This will later evaporate out the leaves after it has been used by the tree.
The evaporated water rises in the sky and forms rain clouds which will and continue the cycle.
What are indigenous people?
People who over thousands of years developed sustainable ways of life in a place like the rainforest or Australia.
In what ways do indigenous people rely on the rainforest?
Food - They hunt, gather and fish in the rainforest with it providing fish or fruit
Timber - They rely on timber to make their homes and boats
Plant materials - They use these to make everyday items such as clothes, rope and oil.
Medicines - These are made from plants found in the rainforest.
What is shifting cultivation
A farming technique
A small area of forest is cleared by chopping down trees and burning them
Seeds are grown in the new clearing. Ash from burning trees adds nutrients to the soil.
Initially the crops grow well but after two or three years the soil loses its fertility.
People move on to another part of the forest and the trees in this clearing grow back
What is the impact of rubber tapping
No negative impact on the forest or on the tree, sustainable.
What is the impact of logging
Mahogany is worth £500 per cubic metre. 1 to 2 mahogany trees grow in a hectare, 1 mahogany tree can damage 28 other trees.
Trees are felled with chainsaws
Mahogany is very valuable and rare
Asian forest is exhausted
What is the impact of mining
Removing the vegetation and the soil so you couldn’t grow on it after
Water used would be contaminated with chemicals
Mining scars the land
Cassiterite for tin, gold, copper, iron, nickel, manganese, lead
What is the impact of cattle ranching
Biggest cause of deforestation
xebu cattle specialty breed for tropical conditions
Land not productive - soil holds few nutrients so huge amounts of fertiliser is needed
Way of claiming land
What is the impact of farming
Roads built for access to houses 1 million people took up the offer for free land in the amazon Lots of farmers deserted their land Leads to infertile soil and poor harvest P&G palm oil
What is the impact on the nutrient cycle
Trees removed
Less dead matter
Less nutrients in ecosystem
Other organisms (plants and animals affected)
What are the impacts on the Hydro logical Cycle
Less interception - more run-off, more soil erosion
Less evaporation and transpiration
Less rain
How is the rainforest managed sustainably in Costa Rica?
Legislation Agroforestry Selective logging Afforestation Monitoring
What are Legislation’s
They passed laws to stop deforestation and gave landowners an incentive to protect the forest by paying them.
What is Agroforestry
Trees and crops are grown together. Some crops benefit from the shelter of the tree canopy. Trees also prevent soil erosion and crops benefit from the nutrients in the leaf litter.
What is Selective Logging
Trees are felled only when they reach a certain height. Young trees are allowed to mature to ensure that the height of the canopy is maintained.
What is Afforestation
Trees are planted to replace the original primary forest that has been lost. However, this secondary forest lacks the biodiversity of primary forest as it takes a long time for species to re-establish.
What is Monitoring
Satellite technology and photos are used to ensure that no illegal activities are taking place and that landowners follow guidelines for sustainability.
What is ecotourism?
It is travel that aims to conserve the natural environment and local communities. It is a type of sustainable development that aims to create local employment as well.
What is Lapa Rios
an ecotourism resort
Central America, Costa Rica, Osa Peninsula,Puerto Jimeneza
Young 30s, Couples, Wealthy, No attachments, Honeymooners
Wild waterfall tours, waterfall rappelling, Dolphin tours, beach and rainforest horseback tours.
How does ecotourism help to manage the rainforest sustainably?
Small scale Blends in to the canopy Local building materials No air con Hill top - gets the breeze No concrete High ceilings Local workforce Gives money back to the community Can make money from TRF without deforestation Empowers local people They educate visitors Reduces food miles money into community Pigs eat waste food Produce biogas which is used for cooking
Describe the traditional Inuit way of life.
Traveling by sledge pulled by dogs and by kayaks on water. They hunt sea animals
How is the Inuit way of life changing? Why?
Sea ice is melting, so it’s harder to travel around and find food. Because of global warming
Describe the distribution of fishing areas.
Near the arctic circle, with the most popular fishing area off the north coast of Scandinavia.
A lot of fishing around Iceland and in the area between Alaska and Russia. They are all coastal.
Why does climate change make it easier to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic?
There is less ice so there are more places which are easily accessed which can have gas. There is also less ice that needs to be drilled through.
What opportunities does retreating sea ice in the Arctic present?
Creates an opportunity for tourism with cruise ships. Creates the North West passage which shortens the journey from Europe to West America by four thousand miles.
What are the threats of this increase in human activity in the area?
Oil spills which would affect the wildlife and would take a long time to clear up, also the Arctic is a fragile ecosystem because it will take so long to recover
Mineral exploitation: Norilsk Nickel
What are the ecological impacts?
Acid rain from the sulfur dioxide - 4 million tonnes from Nickel processing plant
‘Dead Zone’ surrounds the city
Trees can’t grow
Soil becomes acidic - nutrients aren’t replenished
Soil pollution by factories
Habitat loss for animals
Mineral exploitation: Norilsk Nickel
What are the impacts on human health?
People who live there have a life expectancy 10 years lower than Russia on average and they are very likely of getting cancer.
What products were produced from whales?
Margarine, chemicals, cosmetics and animal feed
Which three countries are responsible for catching most of the whales killed since 1950?
Japan, Norway and Iceland
Why do you think that these countries still want to catch and kill whales?
Because they think they have been doing it for a long time and for money. Japan after WW2, whale meat was a cheap alternative. Iceland ship it to Japan and use it in pet food.
How has the number of whales caught by indigenous communities changed? Can you suggest any reasons for this change?
It hasn’t changed, it has stayed much the same. This is because they don’t need any more or less meat.
Case Study: A marine wildlife sanctuary - Clyde River Marine Wildlife Area, Canada
Location:
Reason for creation of sanctuary:
Located 120 kilometers south of the Clyde River, on the north east coast of Baffin Island, Nunavut. Northern Canada
It is to protect and conserve the Bowhead whales and their habitat. Contains nationally significant habitat for Bowhead whales. Protecting them from industrial whaling and shipping.
Case Study: A marine wildlife sanctuary - Clyde River Marine Wildlife Area, Canada
Environmental characteristics:
Why is this a good location for a marine wildlife sanctuary?
It has ocean and wind currents, with the shallow banks off the coast of Isabella Bay. It also has some deep troughs further offshore.
Nationally significant habitat for Bowhead whales - on the Bowhead whales migration route and shelter from the troughs makes good fishing area for the whales.
Case Study: A marine wildlife sanctuary - Clyde River Marine Wildlife Area, Canada
Management of the sanctuary (how the wildlife is protected):
Threats to the sanctuary and its wildlife:
Protected by the Wildlife Area Regulations under the Canada Wildlife Act. Not accessible to the public and all activities can be stopped which may harm the animals. Restrictions on hunting and permits for whaling for indingeous groups. Restrictions on shipping.
Increased shipping of hydrocarbon exploration, development and cruise ships. Ships could hit whales or risk of oil spills. Noise from engines disrupts their communication and mating.
Explain how Inuit whale hunting can be part of the sustainable management of whaling.
Because the Inuit people only kill one whale a year and use all of it for a variety of things. So the whales in that year can recover and maintain numbers.
Antarctic Treaty
Date signed
Number of countries currently involved
What is ‘consultative status’
1st December 1959
52
Consultative parties (28) have voting status. Consultative status is open to any country that can demonstrate its commitment to antarctica by conducting significant research.
Key restrictions of the Antarctic Treaty
Prohibits military bases and weapons testing
Requires cooperation between countries to share the results of scientific research
Prohibits nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal
Does not recognise any country’s claim on territory
All visits to the territory must comply with the treaty.
How does the environmental protocol protect the Antarctic?
By banning mining for 50 years or until all countries agree to end it.
A ban on killing or interfering with wildlife - no dogs can go to Antarctica
All waste must be removed - dumping or burning rubbish is banned
There are controls on fishing in the southern ocean around antarctica
All activities must be assessed for their likely impact on the environment before they are allowed.
Prevents marine pollution
Conservation of Antarctic flora and fauna
Why is the Antarctic Treaty considered to be so successful?
No calls to review the treaty
All nations with consultative status can ‘veto’ proposals
Territorial claims set aside
Has encouraged international cooperation
Significant contribution to scientific knowledge and understanding.
Ozone hole
