The living world Flashcards
What is one reason why rainforests have high temperatures throughout the year
- Due to the curvature of the earth the energy from the sun is more concentrated
Why is the nutrient cycle so efficient in the tropical rainforest
- There is high biodiversity which provides a large amount of fallout as tissue dies
- High temperatures and wet climate is ideal conditions for decomposers
- There is little leaching (nutrients washed away) as the vegetation is dense
- Wide buttress roots help the trees rapidly absorb nutrients in the soil
What are two reasons for deforestation in the tropical rainforest
- Trees are cleared and the wood is sold
- Trees are removed to use as land for grazing cattle
Explain an environmental impact of deforestation in the tropical rainforest
- Contribution to climate –> fewer trees means less CO2 is going to be absorbed and will rather contribute to climate change and global warming
What are some challenges in the Moroccan Sahara
- Extreme heat
- Inaccessibility
- Water supply
What is the reason for the distribution of tropical rainforests
Heat from the sun causes to the air to rise leading to heavy rain all year round
What are economic developments in the rainforest
- Development of land for mining, farming leads to jobs such as construction
- Forest is cleared to make space for cattle farming which creates profit
- Commercial logging and paper companies make profit
What environmental damage can happen to the rainforest due to development
- Loss of habitat
- Loss of biodiversity
- Loss of medical benefits
- Increased carbon dioxide released
- Pollutants may wash into rivers
How does ecotourism help managing rainforests
People stay in huts and the money they pay could be used for conservation and support the local economy
How does selective logging encourage sustainable management
Involves feeling trees when only fully mature and letting younger trees grow, this also protects the ground from soil erosion
What opportunities are present in the desert
- Tourism
- Solar energy
- Minerals, phosphorus
What challenges are present in the desert
- Extreme heats
- Limited precipitation
- Accessibility
- Fragile ecosystem
What is an ecosystem?
A natural environment which includes the flora and fauna that live and interact within that environment
What is a producer
Plants which begin the food chain by making energy from carbon dioxide and water, photosynthesis
What is a consumer
An organisms which obtains its energy by eating other organisms
What are changes to an ecosystem caused by natural factors
- Floods
- drought
- fire
- disease
What are changes to an ecosystem caused by human factors
- pH levels altered
- Introducing more fish
- altering the drainage of the land
- altering the nutrients level of the water e.g. eutrophication
Plant adaptations in the rainforest
- Buttress roots
- Drip tip leaves
- Tree trunks
- Epiphytes
How are buttress roots an adaptation
Large roots, creates a large surface area of balance and to gather nutrients to grow
How are drip tip leaves an adaptation
Leaves with pointy tips, allows water to run off them without damaging or breaking them
How are tree trunks an adaptation
Tall and thin to allow trees to reach the sunlight.
Smooth bark allows water to flow down to the roots easily
How are epiphytes an adapation
Plants which live on the branches of trees high up in the canopy, they get their nutrients from the air and water, not the soil
What are animal adaptations in the rainforest?
- Toucan
- Sloth
- Poison/ non poisonous dart frog
How has a sloth adapted
Uses camouflage and moves very slowly so its predators do not notice them
How has a toucan adapted
Long beaks which allow it to reach and cut branches with fruits on which don’t support its weight
How has a poisonous/ non poisonous dart frog adapted
The bright colour scares away predators as they associate the colour with poison
Threats to the rainforest
- Logging
- Farming
- Mining
- Roads
- Population growth
- Hydroelectric power
How can rainforests be sustainable managed?
- Selective logging
- Education
- Ecotourism
- International agreements
Plant adaptations in the desert?
- Small leaves
- Tap roots
- Spines
- Water storage
How is small leaves an adaptation in the desert
Limits surface area so less water is lost by transpiration
How are tap roots an adaptation in the desert
Long roots which reach deep under ground to access water supplies
How are spines an adaptation in the desert
Lose less water than leaves and also protect the plant from animals
How is water storage an adaptation in the desert
Water can be stored in stems, leaves, trunks. Stored so they have water access with the low precipitation levels
How is a camel adapted to the desert
- Thick tongue, can eat food off thorny bushes
- Hump which stores fat and can be turned into energy
- Long eyelashes to avoid sand in their eyes
- Fur which keeps them warm and they can shed in warmer months
- Wide hooves to stop them from sinking in the sand
Causes of desertification
- Overgrazing
- Over cultivating
- Population growth
- Removal of wood
Strategies to reduce desertification
Great green wall of Africa - drought resistant acaia trees, across 11 countries, roots hold the soil together, also gives people jobs
Magic stones - allows more time for the water to infiltrate into the soil causing it to not erode and become infertile
Water management - water can be held in dams in the water seasons and be used on crops in the dry season
