Sustaining ecosystems info only Flashcards
what is an ecosystem
biotic and abiotic components interacting with each other
what is interdependence
when everything in an ecosystem depends on each other
what is a biome
a large scale ecosystem in which unique plants and animals can be found
gimme 3 abiotic factors and 3 biotic factors and 1 reason how they depend on each other
answers may vary
- soil - abiotic
- sunlight - abiotic
- water - abiotic
- flower - biotic
- ants - biotic
- grass - biotic
the soil, water and sunlight creates a suitable habitat for ants and grass and flowers to grow. the grass is a source of food for the ants and when the ants die they get turned into nutrients for the grass and plant and the water is a source of water for the ants.
where are coral reefs located in the world
- located in between the 2 tropics
- most of the coral reef is located in Indonesia, to the North and East of new Zealand
- the 2nd most is in the Pacific Ocean to the West of South America
where are temperate grasslands located
- located around the subtropics
- parts of the USA, Uruguay, Kazakhstan and Southern Australia
where are the tropical grasslands located
- between the 2 tropics
- along the equator
- most in central Africa and Brazilian Highlands
- some in Thailand and India
where are temperate forests located
- East of Asia in places like Japan and East of Russia
- places like mid east of Europe and North America
where are tropical forests located
- between the 2 tropics
- North of South America
- Indonesia
where are hot deserts located
- 30 degrees North and South of the equator
- mostly in the Sahel region, moving into central Asia
where are the polar regions located
- 66.5 degrees North and South of the equator
what is the climate, flora and fauna in the coral reefs
- temperature 22 - 29 degrees Celsius
- needs clear, shallow water
- coral is an animal made by polyps
- food for Hawksbill turtle
what is the climate, flora and fauna in the temperate grasslands
- 38 - 40 degrees Celsius
- 250 - 750mm rainfall
- willow and oak tree
- eagles, hawks, rabbits, wolves, coyotes
what is the climate, flora and fauna in the tropical grasslands
- 32 - 25 degrees Celsius
- 5 - 300mm of rainfall
- pampas grass, oak trees
- lions, elephants, zebra, antelopes, giraffes
what is the climate, flora and fauna in the temperate forests
- 3 - 16 degrees Celsius
- 50 - 84mm per month
- Possums, rabbits, mice, elm trees
what is the climate, flora and fauna in the tropical forests
- 24 - 30 degrees Celsius
- 200 - 1000cm per year
- monkeys, parrots, tigers, panthers, moss, ferns
what is the climate, flora and fauna in the hot deserts
- 45 - (-12) degrees Celsius
- 20mm per year
- cacti, rattlesnakes, mice, camels
what is the climate, flora and fauna in the Antarctica
- vey little precipitation
- (-10) - (-60) degrees Celsius
- Algae, penguins, 2 types of grass
what is the climate, flora and fauna in the Arctic
- some precipitation
- 12 - (-34) degrees Celsius
- low humidity
- taiga forests, seals, sea lions, walruses, Narwhals
what is the soil like in tropical forests and why
the soil there is the poorest in the world due to the nutrients being taken up by the plants and trees so quickly
how does the water cycle work in the rainforest
1- heavy daily rain
2- evaporation from interception by plants
3- rain reaches the ground but is run off
4- trees uptake the rain
5- water lost from transpiration
how does the nutrient cycle work in the rainforest
1- leaves are shed by trees and plants
2- leaves are decomposed rapidly
3- nutrients go into the soil
4- nutrients don’t make in far into the soil as they get taken up by trees
5- trees grow
what is the soil profile in the tropical forests
1- thick litter layer
2- thin dark humus layer
3- mixed soil
4- red soil due to oxides of iron and aluminium
5- hydrated oxides produces a red-yellow colouration
6- rapid chemical weathering produces clay
7- bedrock
what are the land and sea features of Antarctica
- 99% of the continent is ice and the rest is weathered rock
- ice shelves hold back glaciers from going into the sea
- there’s a mountain range which splits Antarctica into 2, called the transantarctic mountain range
what are the land and sea features of Arctic
- large areas of land are permafrost
- permafrost gets thawed in the summer and filled with water to make lakes
- there are dramatic icebergs
- glaciers calve icebergs at their snout to stop them falling into the sea
give me information on the biodiversity of Antarctica which includes survivability of biodiversity, overview of biodiversity and threats to biodiversity
- have 1 land creature - the penguin
- 2 plants
- a lot more marine creatures
- katabatic winds remove moisture from plants
- no soil
- very cols temperatures (-10) - (-60) degrees Celsius
- climate change
- tourism
- pressure to allow exploitation of minerals
the soil composition of Antarctica
- ice layer on top
- bare weathered rock
what are the effects of Logging to tropical forests
- reduces biodiversity
- timber is harvested to make things like furniture
- lead to violence between indigenous tribes and logging companies
what are the effects of agriculture to tropical forests
- increased carbon emissions
- increase in palm oil leading to the infertility of soil
- soil erosion increased due to land being exposed
what are the effects of tourism to tropical forests
- tourism leads to building hotels in vulnerable areas
- leads to negative relationships between indigenous tribes and government
- human diseases have been passed to apes
what are the effects of mineral extraction to tropical forests
- precious metals are found in the rainforest
- areas mined can lead to soil and water contamination
- Indigenous people have to move homes as their land is used to build roads to transport products
what are some of the benefits of the rainforest
- raw materials like timber and rubber are found there
- water - controls the flow of water to prevent floods
- food - bananas, pineapple and coffee is grown there
- health - 25% of ingredients in modern medicine is found in the rainforest
- energy - large dams in the rainforest produces 66% of Brazil’s energy
- climate - stores 15% of the world’s carbon emissions
