THE LIVING WORLD Flashcards
What is an ecosystem
A community where rocks, soil, vegetation, animals, humans, water, the atmosphere and climate all interact
Ecosystems are made up of biotic and abiotic things
What is a biotic organism?
Any living things e.g. plants and bacteria
What are abiotic things
Nonliving things e.g. climate and soil
Definition of adaptions
The ways the plants evolve to cope with environmental conditions e.g. lots of rainfall
What are producers
Organisms that get the energy from a primary source such as the Sun
What are consumers
Organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms
What is a food chain
A line of linkages between producers and consumers
What is a food web
A diagram that shows all the linkages between producers and consumers in an ecosystem
What are scavengers
Organisms that consume dead animals or plants
What are decomposers
Organisms such as bacteria that break down plant and animal material
What is nutrient cycling
The recycling of nutrients between living organisms and the environment
What are nutrients
Foods that are used by plants or animals to grow (such as nitrogen and potassium) this energy is passed along the food chain
How might the mineral nutrients leave an ecosystem
Washed away by water through the soil
Name the tiers of the food chain pyramid ( from the bottom upwards
Produces
Primary consumers
Secondary consumers
Tertiary consumers/Apex animal
In the nutrient cycle what is biomass
The total amount of vegetation
In the nutrient cycle what is litter
Leaves and other dead plant material on the floor
In the nutrient cycle how Are nutrients transferred from soil into biomass
Uptake by plants
In the nutrient cycle how A nutrients transferred from biomass to litter
Fallout as leaves and tissues die
In the nutrient cycle how are nutrients transferred from the litter to the soil
Nutrients released as litter decomposes
How can nutrients be lost from the soil
Lost by leaching
How can nutrients be lost from the litter in the nutrient cycle
Loss in run-off
How are nutrients getting in the litter Of the nutrient cycle
Input from minerals dissolved in rainfall
What makes up the detritivore community
Beatles and their larvae, Flies and maggots, woodlice, fun guy, slime moulds, bacteria, slugs and snails, millipedes, springtails and earthworms
What is the function of the detritivore community and why are they important
The job is to convert all dead plant and animal matter into forms that are usable for growth either by themselves or other organisms, they work mostly out of sight and work gradually
What is bacteria’s main role in decomposition
Speeding up the decay process
What would happen without the work of bacteria
Other decomposes nutrients would not be recycled quickly enough to be reused
What are global scale ecosystem changes
Changes that have a global impact, such as climate change
What are Local scale ecosystem changes
Things that change a habitat, such as the removal of hedgerows
How many miles of hedgerow has Britain lost since 1945
Over 118,000 miles
When was peak hedge row removal in Britain
Between 1986 and 1993
What is the estimated hedgehog population in England Wales and Scotland
About 1 million compared to 30,000,000 in the 1950s
Why are hedgerows in the UK being removed and what are the impacts on this ecosystem?
1) They provide shelter, food and clear, safe paths for animals to live
2) One reason for the removal of hedgerows is due to a rising population meaning more food is in demand meaning farmers need more space to grow more food so their only option is to move hedgerows to make fields bigger
3) When hedgerows in removed they’re no longer any roots to stabilise the soil leading to greater soil erosion as wind and rain have access to the ground leading to saturated soil and teaching meaning nutrients are washed out so this or may not be perfect for growing crops anymore
4) The number of Hedgerow species is being threatened including the population of hedgehogs decreasing rapidly
5) Hedgehogs are secondary consumers so if the population decreases the slug population increases, owls won’t have any prey so their numbers made a decrease as well

Where is the Epping Forest located
In London
Part of the forest goes into the built-up parts of London but also stretches over the M25 into the country
It is north-east London just north of the River Thames
What type of forest is the Epping Forest
Deciduous woodland
What does the ecosystem of the Epping Forest consist of
1) A lower shrub layer with 177 species of moss and lichen
2) Many insects, mammals and birds species including nine amphibians and reptiles species and 38 bird species
3) 700 species of fungi which are important decomposes
What are the 8 major biomes in the world
Tropical rainforest
Tropical savanna grassland
Dessert
Deciduous forest
Coniferous forest
Tundra
Mediterranean
Oceans
Where are the worlds tropical rainforests located
Between the two tropics mostly along the equator and mainly found in southern America Africa and Asia
What is the highest temperature in the Amazon rainforest?
29°C
What is the lowest temperature in the Amazon rainforest
27°C
Does the Amazon rainforest have a large or a small temperature range
Small, only 2°C in range
How many months of the year does it rain in the Amazon rainforest
Every month
Describe the climate of the Amazon rainforest
Very hot, throughout the whole year and always rainy/wet
Describe the 9 stages of daily convectional rainfall in the Amazon rainforest
1) The Sun rises high by midday
2) The Sun heats up the ground
3) And next to the ground is heated
4) Water evaporates from the ground and trees
5) Warm air rises
6) Air cools and condensation occurs
7) White cumulus clouds begin to form
8) Cumulonimbus storm clouds start form
9) Heavy rainfall
Why is the rainforest so hot all the time
Because they are located along the equator which is always the closest part of the Earth to the Sun and therefore the suns heat is more focused
Why do plants and animals have to adapt to the tropical rainforest biome
They have to be able to cope with extremes of weather
Constantly high temperatures
Frequent heavy rain
What are the 4 Vegetation layers that make up the structure of a tropical rainforest
Shrub layer
Under canopy
Canopy
Emergent layer
What is the emergent layer of the tropical rainforest
The tallest tree is up to 40 m in height
What is the canopy layer of the tropical rain forest
When most trees are found
Lianas Climb up trees to reach sunlight
How have epiphytes adapted to the rainforest climate
They use other plants as hosts to get enough sunlight
Produce air routes so you don’t need to be in soil, they get the moisture from the air and nutrients from the rain as well as anchoring them to the tree
How tall can kapok tree grow
200 feet
What is special about kapok trees
200 feet in height
Branchless trunks – don’t waste energy on growing branches so can just grow tall
Very wide trunks known as buttress roots which provide a stable base so they can grow tall
How have plants adapted to the rainforest climate
Drip tips
Waxy leaves
Wide broad leaves
Edges of leaves the shop
Bright sweet smelling flowers and colours
How is the Jaguar adapted to the rainforest
Large close to climb trees
Good swimmers
Very strong, giving its strength to move more slowly and silently when stalking prey
Extremely fast
How is a poison dart frog adapted to the rainforest
Excrete poison from its skin
It’s bright colours warn potential predators against eating it
How has the three toed sloth adapted to the rainforest
The tan coat to match the colour of tree trunks providing camouflage
Have three extra neckbones allowing them to turn the head 270°
Thick dense coats to keep them dry
Undercoat protect the skin
Long hairs hang down providing a natural route for water to run off
Long sharp claws help to climb trees 
Sharp teeth to defend themselves
Only poo every two weeks enabling them to stay in the trees where they are safe as their predators are on the ground
How have spider monkeys adapted to the rainforest
Highly developed larynx – giving them the ability to produce a range of focal sounds to communicate
Prehensile tail – able to grasp the branches of trees as it acts like a finger
What is deforestation
The complete clearance of forested land
How many hectares of forest is being destroyed every second
1
What are the seven things causing deforestation
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Mining Exline production of energy
Building new roads
Indigenous people
Cattle ranching
Palm oil
What is degradation in terms of deforestation
The damage caused to ecosystems and the loss of diversity which can eventually lead to their destruction
