Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Geography > The Living World > Flashcards

The Living World Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
U.S. Geography flashcards World Geography flashcards
1
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

a place where living organisms interact with their environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is an organism?

A

a living thing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What does biotic mean?

A

the biotic part of an ecosystem is the living part

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What does abiotic mean?

A

the abiotic part of an ecosystem is the non living part

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is a producer?

A

an organism that uses sunlight to produce its food

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is a consumer?

A

an organism that eats another organism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is a decomposer?

A

an organism that gets its energy from breaking down dead material

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is a food chain?

A

a diagram that shows what eats what

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is a food web?

A

a diagram that shows overlapping food chains

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Draw the nutrient cycle

A

link

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the nutrient cycle?

A

Nutrients stored in the soil are taken up by plant roots and stored in the plant. Eventually the plant dies and falls to the ground as litter. The nutrients are then stored here. Decomposers break down the litter for energy so the nutrients go into the soil. Where they are stored again so new plants can take them up.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is an example of a small scale ecosystem?

A

Hedgerow
(location: UK)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are abiotic components of a hedgerow?

A
  • Temperate (not extreme) climate
  • Rich fertile soils / brown earths
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are biotic components of a hedgerow?

A
  • Producers: Hawthorn (the hedge) + blackberry bushes
  • Consumers: Ladybirds, thrush, blackbird, sparrow hawk, caterpillars, badgers, mice
  • Decomposers: worms
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Give an example of a food chain in a small scale ecosystem

A

link

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are examples of how organisms survive in the hedgerows?

A
  • mice use the hedgerow to hide from their predators
  • the sparrow hawk is a secondary consumer and eats mice
  • the thrush is a primary consumer and eats blackberries
  • the blackbird nests in the hedge and also finds it’s food here
  • hawthorn is a producer, it gets energy from the sunlight and nutrients from the soil
  • caterpillars are primary consumers that eat blackberries
  • nutrients found in the fertile brown earth are there because composers like bacteria break down the litter
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Draw the trophic levels

A

link

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Draw the nutrient cycle of a hedgerow

A

link

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is a biome? (examples)

A

A global scale ecosystem

e.g. (hot) desert, tropical rainforest, temperate (deciduous) forest, tundra, taiga (boreal/coniferous forests), tropical grasslands, polar desert

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Where are (hot) deserts found globally?

A

On and around 30° North and South of the equator
e.g. Northern Africa, Sahara, Central Australia, Southwest USA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the climate of (hot) deserts?

A

Hot – 30° North and South – rays concentrated over small area

Dry – high-pressure so air sinks – clouds dont form

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the soils like in (hot) deserts?

A
  • called Aridisols – thin, not very fertile as little
  • few plants so few nutrients go into the soil in nutrient cycle
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the vegetation like in (hot) deserts?

A
  • Little vegetation as lack of water
  • Shrubs and cactus adapt to lack of water - can absorb water in stem
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Where are tropical rainforests found globally?

A

On and around the equator
E.g. north of South America – Amazon, Southeast Asia, central Africa

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is the climate of tropical rainforests?

A

Hot – close the equator – rays concentrated over small area, roughly stays the same temperature at 27°C

Wet – low pressure so air rises – clouds form – more than 2000 mm of rain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is the soil like in tropical rainforests? (summarised)

A
  • soil is not very fertile as nutrient cycle is very rapid due to ideal conditions for growth
  • nutrients washed away by water
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What is the vegetation like in tropical rainforests? (summarised)

A
  • 15 million species - high diversity - hot and wet conditions – perfect for growth
  • Tall trees (up to 40 metres)
  • Buttressed bases for support
  • Evergreen with large, dark green, leathery leaves
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Where are temperate (deciduous) forests found globally?

A

40° - 60° North
e.g. western Europe

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is the climate of temperate (deciduous) forests?

A

Mild – 60° North and South – rays spread out over large surface area

Wet – low pressure so air rises – clouds form

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What are the soils like in temperate (deciduous) forests?

A

Brown earths – fertile

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What is the vegetation like in temperate (deciduous) forests?

A
  • Trees e.g. ash and oak - deciduous
  • Fertile soils and mild climate means lots of growth
  • Loose leaves in autumn to prevent water loss
  • Bluebells grow in spring when sunlight gets to forest floor
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Where are tundras found globally?

A

On and around the Arctic Circle

E.g. North Russia , North Canada

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What is the climate of tundras?

A

Little rain – high pressure – often falls as snow

Cold temperatures - average 10°C

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What are the soils like in tundras?

A

Soil frozen – permafrost – stops regrowth – only top metre not – soil off and wet – little evaporation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What is the vegetation like in tundras?

A

Low species diversity – not many plants – climate not good for growth

  • Low-lying to protect from wind
  • short growing season
  • leathery leaves to vent water loss
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Where are taigas (boreal/coniferous forests) found globally?

A

45-57° North

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What is the climate of taiga (boreal/coniferous forests)?

A
  • Cool to cold in winter – warmer in summer
  • Rain in summer
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What are the soils like in taiga (boreal/coniferous forests)?

A

Deep litter layer as little decomposition – too cold

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

What is the vegetation like in taiga (boreal/coniferous forests)?

A
  • Evergreen trees
  • Needles to prevent water loss as times of year when little water

e.g. Black and white spruce

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Where are tropical grasslands found globally?

A

On edges of deserts

e.g. East of Africa, Mexico

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

What is the climate of tropical grasslands?

A
  • Hot all year round – not much rain and it tends to fall in one season
  • Often has periods of drought and fires
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

What are the soils like in tropical grasslands?

A

Porous thin layer of humus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

What is the vegetation like in tropical grasslands?

A

Grasses and shrubs – can lack water at times

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

Where are polar deserts found globally?

A

Very high latitudes
North/South pole

45
Q

What is the climate of polar deserts?

A

Cold – 90° north and south – rays spread out over large surface area

Dry – high pressure air sinks – no clouds

46
Q

What are the soils like in polar deserts?

A

very little soil
mainly bare rock

47
Q

What is the vegetation like in polar deserts?

A

occasionally plants grow in cracks in rock

e.g. arctic poppy

48
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

the variety of different species living in an ecosystem

49
Q

Describe the soils in a tropical rainforest.

A
  • They are red as they contain lots of iron.
  • They are deep but not fertile as the heavy rain washes away the nutrients.
  • They have a deep litter layer because they have an all-round growing season so plants are constantly dropping their leaves.
  • They have a thin humus layer because the leaves decompose quickly and the plants take up the nutrients quickly.
50
Q

Describe the vegetation in a tropical rainforest.

A

Vegetation grows in distinct layers, in each layer the plants are adapted to the conditions so there are lots of different species.

They deciduous – even though they look evergreen because they grow all year round so there are lots of plants and animals because there is high primary productivity.

51
Q

What is the nutrient cycle like in a rainforest?

A

link

52
Q

What are the 4 ways leaves are adapted to a tropical rainforest?

A
  • drip tips
  • large surface area
  • waxy surface
  • arrangement
53
Q

What are the 5 plant adaptations to the rainforest?

A
  • leaves
  • roots
  • trees
  • epiphytes
  • lianas
54
Q

How are leaves adapted to the rainforest?

A
  • because of heavy rainfall, plants need to shed water to avoid growth of fungus and bacteria
  • because bacteria likes hot and wet climate so leaves would rot – thats why they have drip tips + waxy suface, so the bacteria doesn’t grow otherwise it would decrease photosynthesis on the leaves
  • Arranged at different angles so a plant avoids shading each other
  • large surface area to get most sunlight which it uses to photosynthesise
  • high levels of biodiversity to there is competition for light
55
Q

How are roots adapted to the rainforest?

A

buttress roots
- trees have very shallow roots
- these roots cannot support tall trees
- so buttress roots are massive and give the tree stability
- they don’t actually go into the soil or take up nutrients

56
Q

How are trees adapted to the rainforest?

A
  • very tall to reach the sunlight
  • fan shaped leaves good for catching sunlight and water
  • These leaves are segmented so excess water drains away
  • also arranged at different angles so avoids shading
  • bark isn’t thick – it’s thin and smooth because it makes it harder for other plants to grow on it and it doesn’t need to keep moisture in so is thin
57
Q

What are epiphytes?

A
  • plants that grow on other plants so can reach the sun
  • plants which live on the branches of trees high up in the canopy
58
Q

How are epiphytes adapted to the rainforest?

A
  • Plants that grow on other plants to reach sunlight
  • Start at the top
  • Grows on trees to take advantage of the sunlight in the canopy
59
Q

What are lianas?

A

woody vines that have roots in the ground but climb up the trees to reach the sunlight

60
Q

How are lianas adapted to the rainforest?

A
  • vines that climb up trees and drape over them
  • Roots on the ground and climb up high (climb up from the bottom) to reach the sunlight
61
Q

What are the 4 animal adaptations to the rainforest?

A
  • camouflage
  • creating niches
  • living in trees
  • being nocturnal
62
Q

How does camouflage help animals adapt to the rainforest?

A
  • camouflage is used to avoid becoming prey
  • e.g. sloths moves very slowly and spend time upside down on trees making it harder to spot them
  • blue-green algae grows on its fur giving the sloth a greenish colour making it more difficult for predators to spot
    🦥
63
Q

How does creating niches help animals adapt to the rainforest?

A
  • because there are so many animals competing for food, many animals have adapted by learning to eat a particular food eaten by no other animal - this is called creating niches
  • e.g. toucans have adapted by developing long, large bills so they can break open hard nuts that other animals can’t
    🥜🦤
64
Q

How does living in trees help animals adapt to the rainforest?

A
  • many animals and insects in the rainforest live in the trees and never set foot on the ground
  • the animals use the tall trees and understory for shelter, hiding places from their predators, and a source of food
  • e.g. monkeys 🐒
65
Q

How does being nocturnal help animals adapt to the rainforest?

A
  • many animals have adapted to a nighttime life in order to survive
  • e.g. Amazon tree boa avoid predators that are active during the day like birds of prey and primates by sleeping during the day
  • at night they hunt other nocturnal animals like rodents using special infrared receptors located in their mouth
  • hunting at night also means there’s less competition for food
    🐍
66
Q

What is the location of the Amazon rainforest?

A
  • The Amazon Rainforest is in the North of South America.
  • Most of it is in Brazil, although the edges of it spread into countries including Peru, Bolivia and Suriname
67
Q

What are the 7 causes of deforestation?

A
  • Logging -> trees are used for e.g. furniture, fuel, charcoal
  • Road building -> brings supplies + provides access to areas
  • Mineral extraction -> mining
  • Energy development -> high rainfall creates ideal conditions for hydroelectric power (dams)
  • Settlement + population growth
  • Cattle ranching
  • Commercial farming -> arable
68
Q

What is logging (deforestation)?

A
  • Trees like mahogany and teak are used for furniture + other uses
  • smaller trees are used for fuel, pulped or made into charcoal
69
Q

What is road building (deforestation)?

A
  • Roads bring supplies + provide access to new mining areas, new settlements + energy projects
  • In Brazil, the trans-Amazonian highway stretches for some 4,000 km through the rainforest
70
Q

What is mineral extraction (deforestation)?

A

This is a major cause of deforestation in many countries

In Brazil, minerals such as gold bauxite and copper mind extensively, causing huge scars in the landscape + polluting rivers

71
Q

What is energy development (deforestation)?

A

High rainfall creates ideal conditions for hydro-electric power and there are several large dams + reservoirs

  • In Brazil the Belo Monte dam
    (opened in 2019) is a huge hydro-electric power complex, the 2nd largest in the country
  • In damming the Xingy River, a tributary of the Amazon, 40,000+ hectares of rainforest have been flooded
72
Q

What is settlement + population growth (deforestation)?

A
  • Settlements have developed to service the developments in the Brazilian rainforest
  • Such as farming + mineral extraction
  • This has led to a growth in population
73
Q

What is subsistence +commercial farming (deforestation)?

A
  • Land is cleared for commercial farming
  • In Brazil, cattle ranching accounts for 80% of deforestation
  • Soybeans, palm oil + sugar cane are the major crops
74
Q

What are some facts about the Amazon Rainforest?

A
75
Q

How does deforestation lead to a loss of biodiversity?

A
  • Deforestation reduces biodiversity.
  • This affects not only plants and animals in the rainforest, but also humans.
  • For species in the rainforest, the loss of biodiversity can disrupt food chains and interdependent relationships.
  • For humans, rainforests can be useful for medicine, food and more, so with loss of biodiversity, humans have less of this.
76
Q

How does deforestation effect the local climate of an area?

A
  • Because of deforestation, there is less interception from trees.
  • This means that there is less evapotranspiration which leads to there being lest moisture in the atmosphere.
  • So there are then less clouds so less rain, which means that the local climate is drier.
  • In 2005, the Southwest Amazon experienced drought conditions
77
Q

How does deforestation effect the global climate of an area?

A
  • During deforestation, less CO2 is absorbed, so there is more CO2 in the atmosphere
  • Slash and burn is also often used to deforest and burning put CO2 into the atmosphere.
  • This means that the greenhouse gas layer gets thicker.
  • Deforestation contributes to 17% of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • This traps more heat from the Sun.
  • This means global temperatures are rising.
  • So global temperatures have risen by about 1°C.
78
Q

What is the impact of soil due to deforestation?

A
  • Because of deforestation, there are fewer roots to hold soil together that would previously keep the soil in place.
  • There is also no canopy to protect soil from heavy rain.
  • So the soil is washed away.
  • This is called soil erosion.
79
Q

How does deforestation create river poisoning?

A
  • Mercury is used to extract gold from gold mines.
  • Mercury is toxic.
  • When it rains, the mercury gets washed into rivers.
  • This pollutes the water + the fish in the rivers.
  • In Tapajós river, 90% of fish had a trace of mercury in them.
  • This leads fish to die, so there is less food for the indigenous people who eat the fish.
  • The poisoned fish that indigenous people do eat can make them poisoned too.
80
Q

What are positive economic and social impacts of deforestation?

A
  • Large companies make profits from selling items that they got from deforestation.
  • This provides jobs and wealth and improves quality of life.
  • The companies pay taxes to the government, which the government can then invest into infrastructure and to improve development.
  • Selling goods such as gold and cobalt can increase foreign exchange.
81
Q

What are negative economic and social impacts of deforestation?

A
  • The livelihoods of some local people are destroyed.
  • For example rubber tapping requires trees.
  • Deforestation can cause loss of animals + plants they rely on for a living.
  • Eco-tourism also suffers with deforestation.
  • Deforestation also creates conflict
82
Q

What has happened to the number of endangered species in Brazil?

A

They have increased from 200 in 1989 to 600 in 2008

83
Q

How many tons of carbon does the Amazon rainforest store?

A

100 billion

84
Q

Name a tribe who have been moved because of deforestation

A

The Guarani Tribe

85
Q

How much money did Brazil make from trading cattle in 2009?

A

$6.9 billion

86
Q

How many people do Vale mining company employ in Brazil?

A

154,000

87
Q

How many tons of topsoil are lost to erosion due to soil production in Brazil?

A

55 million

88
Q

What percentage of CO2 emissions globally come from the deforestation of the Amazon?

A

20%

89
Q

What are positive effects of deforestation?

A
  • jobs for many people
  • selling things can lead to foreign exchange
  • economic growth
  • new homes for people
  • hydro-electric power
  • improves Q of L
  • increased taxes for gov.
  • wealth for locals + companies
90
Q

What are negative effects of deforestation?

A
  • increased CO2 - adds to global warming - global increase in temperature
  • can displace indigenous communities from their homes + they can lose their job/food source
  • loss of biodiversity
  • soil erosion
  • locally increases drought
  • river poisoning
  • poor health
  • conflict
91
Q

What goods can people get from the rainforest?

A
  • food crops (bananas, vanilla etc)
  • wild meat + fish
  • timber
  • energy from hydroelectric power
  • medicine
92
Q

What services can people get from the rainforest?

A
  • climate regulation
  • water + nutrient recycling
  • protection against soil erosion
  • wildlife habitats
  • biodiversity
  • employment opportunities
93
Q

What is the value of the tropical rainforest to people?

A
  • resources
  • medicine
  • indigenous tribes
  • energy
  • employment
94
Q

How are tropical rainforest useful for resources?

A
  • Tropical rainforest are rich in reserves of wood, nuts + fruit as well as minerals
  • Every day items such as bananas, cocoa + sugar come from tropical rainforests along with spices such as vanilla + cinnamon
95
Q

How are tropical rainforest useful for medicine?

A
  • About 25% of all medicines come from rainforest plants
  • Over 2,000 plants have anti-cancer properties
  • Less than 1% of rainforest plants + trees have been tested by scientists for their medicinal properties
96
Q

How are tropical rainforests useful for the indigenous tribes in a tropical rainforest?

A
  • Thousands of people live in the rainforest, with their lives depending on maintaining a healthy ecosystem
  • E.g. the Actuar tribe in Peru numbers over 11,000, living in small communities relying on the rainforest for food, building materials and fuel
97
Q

How are tropical rainforest useful for energy?

A
  • High rainfall totals in rainforests create the potential for hydro-electric power
  • Electricity can provide much-needed light + power for local people
  • Local micro-hydro schemes can serve isolated communities
98
Q

How are tropical rainforests useful for employment?

A
  • Rainforests can provide employment opportunities in tourism for guides or stewards
  • Other opportunities exist in construction, farming + mining
99
Q

What is the value of the tropical rainforest to the environment?

A
  • Water
  • Biodiversity
  • Climate
  • Climate change
  • Soil erosion
100
Q

How are tropical rainforest useful for water?

A
  • Rainforests are important sources of freshwater
  • About 20% of the worlds freshwater comes from the Amazon basin
101
Q

How are tropical rainforest useful for biodiversity?

A
  • Tropical rainforests contain 50% of the worlds plants + animals
  • Including thousands of different species
102
Q

How are tropical rainforest useful for climate?

A
  • Known as the ‘lungs of the world’, rainforests contribute 28% of the worlds oxygen
    -Moisture emitted through transpiration feeds into the water cycle + prevents the climate becoming too dry + hot
  • Evaporation of water from rainforest helps to cool the air (heat is extracted from the air during the process of evaporation)
103
Q

How are tropical rainforest useful for climate change?

A
  • Rainforests absorb carbon dioxide (greenhouse gases) from the atmosphere, acting as a carbon sink
  • this helps to offset global warming
104
Q

How are tropical rainforest useful for soil erosion?

A

Rainforests shelter + bind together the tropical soils, preventing harmful soil erosion, which can silt up rivers + reservoirs

105
Q

What is sustainability?

A

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

106
Q

What is an NGO?

A

A non-governmental organisation (NGO) that is independent from the government like a charity

e.g. Oxfam

107
Q

What are the 6 rainforest management strategies?
(use the acronym)

A

IC CASE (I “see” 👁 case 💼)

International agreements
Conservation + education by NGOs

Conservation swaps/debt reduction
Agroforestry
Selective selling/logging replanting
Eco-tourism

108
Q

What is selective logging + replanting

A
109
Q

What is

A

Geography (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions