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Geography > The Living World > Flashcards

The Living World Flashcards

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1
Q

define an ecosystem

A

a natural system of plants, animals and the environment.

it includes the biotic and abiotic parts of an area

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2
Q

define biotic components

A

the living features of an ecosystem ie plants and fish

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3
Q

define abiotic components

A

non living factors ie climate (temp and rainfall), soil rainfall & light

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4
Q

define producers

A
  • convert energy from the sunlight into food (glucose)

- ie plants that convert the suns energy by photosynthesis ie pond weed

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5
Q

give examples of small scale ecosystems

A

pond

hedgerow

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6
Q

give examples of large scale ecosystems

A

tropical forests

deciduous woodland

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7
Q

define consumers

A

consumers get energy from the sugars produced by the producers as they eat plants
- ie in a pond it would be heron or pike

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8
Q

define decomposers

A

break down the plant/ animal material and return the nutrients back to the soil
in a pond it would be rotting leaves

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9
Q

define food chain

A

this shows the direct links btwn producers & consumers in the form of a single line

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10
Q

define food web

A

this shows all the connections btwn producers & consumers in a more complex way

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11
Q

define nutrient cycling

A

when nutrients are transferrered throughout the ecosystem

  • dead material decomposes -> puts nutrients into soil
  • plants take nutrients in from soil -> consumer eats plants
  • consumer dies & nutrients return to the soil
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12
Q

in a food web which way does the line go

A

from the food source to the consumer
shows the transfer of energy (from the thing that is being eaten)
ie acorn —> squirrel

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13
Q

what’s the climate like in tundras. give an example of one

A
  • extremely cold climate (may drop to -20*) as its v. far north
  • low rainfall (high pressure belt meaning sinking air stops clouds from forming)
  • northern Canada/ northern Europe
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14
Q

how are tundra ecosystems distributed around the world

A

from arctic circle to 60-70* north of the equator

- very few in the southern hemisphere as there’s hardly any land

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15
Q

how are tropical rain-forests distributed around the world

A

close to the equator

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16
Q

give an example of a natural change to an ecosystem and how it can impact on the ecosystem

A

volcanic eruptions mean that lava damages forests & ash clouds block sunlight so temp lowers & plants cant survive

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17
Q

give an example of a natural change to an ecosystem and how it can impact on the ecosystem

A
  • volcanic eruptions mean that lava damages forests & ash clouds block sunlight so temp lowers & plants cant survive
  • extreme weather (heatwave so pond dries up & animals die)
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18
Q

give an example of a human change to an ecosystem and how it can impact on the ecosystem

A

farming (eutrophication - fertilisers have nitrates in them. when it rains they get washed into lakes. river algae grows trapping sunlight & taking up all of the oxygen)

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19
Q

what is the location of tropical rainforests (latitude)

A

0* - 25* north and south of the equator

found on the equator, the tropic of capricorn and tropic of cancer

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20
Q

what is the climate like in tropical rainforests (temp & rainfall)

A
  • av. temp is 27*C (high temp all year round. little variation bc at the equator sun is overhead all year round)
  • heavy rainfall. av is 2000mm. rains every day
  • climate same all year round. no definite seasons
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21
Q

what is the soil like in tropical rainforests

A
  • infertile & poor quality
  • very shallow
  • nutrients mainly close to surface bc rotting leaves rot at top
  • heavy rainfall washes away nutrients (called leaching)
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22
Q

what are the plants like in tropical rainforests

A
  • most trees are evergreen (dont shed leaves seasonally) taking advantage of the continual growing season
  • many trees very tall as v. little light reaches forest floor
  • drip tip, waxy leaves so water drains off
  • thick butress roots to hold tall trees steady
  • wide root netwrok to get nutrients from soil
  • climbing plants (lianas) use trees trunks to get to light
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23
Q

what are the animals like in tropical rainforests

A
  • prehensile (gripping) tails to live in the canopy ie howler monkey
  • camouflage to hide in the shrub layer ie gecko
  • suction pads on feet to grip in trees ie tree frog
  • nocturnal to avoid heat of the day ie sloth
  • strong bills on birds to crack nuts
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24
Q

how do plants adapt to the TRF

A
  • lianas are woody vines that use tree trunks to grow up trees to reach sunlight and absorb as much light as possible for photosynthesis
  • plants have thick waxy leaves with pointed tips (drip tips which channel the water so it runs off. & there’s no standing water for fungi to grow in)
25
Q

how do animals adapt to the TRF

A
  • many animals are nocturnal ie sloths. sleep in the day & feed at night when its cooler helping them to save energy
  • some animals are adapted to low light levels on rain-forest floor ie anteaters have a sharp sense of smell & hearing so can detect predators without seeing them as its dark
26
Q

give facts about the importance of the biodiversity in the TRF

A
  • contain 50% of all plants/ animals in the world
  • ‘green lungs of the world’ 28% of worlds oxygen comes from TRF
  • absorb and store co2, regulating the climate
  • 25% of all medicines come from rain-forest plant/animal species
  • 20 % of worlds freshwater comes from the amazon river basin
27
Q

give examples of what would happen if biodiversity in the TRF was reduced

A
  • without tree canopies to intercept & tree roots absorbing rain, more water reaches soil reducing fertility as nutrients are washed away from plants#
  • livelihood of some ppl who depend on animals/ plant to earn money is disrupted as they’re lost to deforestation & cant support families
  • with no trees hokding soil together, heavy rain erodes/ washes away soil causing landslides/flooding
28
Q

what are the different types of deforestation

A

everything except urbanisation ppl just want the space

  • 40% cattle farming (deforest for fields for cows. supply meat to other countries increasing amount of meat needed globally)
  • 20% commercial farming (clearing forests to grow crops ie cocoa beans/ palm oil)
  • 17% subsistence farming (indigenous ppl who farm to live. “slash & burn” makes soil nutritious to farm when burned. small scale.)
  • 11% urbanisation (houses/roads/mines/building dams. ppl want access to roads for a long time & wont replant trees)
29
Q

what are the impacts of deforestation

A
  • damages the food chain (many organisms have evolved to depend on a few species for survival, specific to a small area. if this is cut down the species may go extinct )
  • brazil’s endangered species rose from 218 in 1989 to 628 in 2008
  • as trees absorb CO2 burning trees gives out co2 contributing to the greenhouse effect deforestation responsible for 15% of global co2 emmissions
  • logging & farming create jobs
  • long term, can destroy resoucrces countries depend on ie timber & reduce attractiveness of area to tourists
30
Q

why should we protect the trees & reduce deforestation

A
  • ## vital undiscovered cures could not be found if the rainforest was destroyed
31
Q

how can we protect trees & reduce deforestation through selective logging

A

selective logging & replanting

  • is managed carefully so is more sustainable & planned to do selective logging than clear felling as they replant the trees after
  • introduced in Malaysia 1977. 100 small areas picked & chose which trees to chop down then replanted in another area & constantly monitors the area
32
Q

what is selective logging & replanting. what is clear felling

A
  • clear felling (all trees chopped down in the area being cleared, completely destroying the ecosystem)
  • selective logging (only certain trees chopped down then replanted)
33
Q

what is conservation

A
  • when rainforests are preserved in conservation areas ie national parks/ nature reserves which can be used for education/ scientific research & tourism
34
Q

how can we protect trees & reduce deforestation through ecotourism

A
  • costa rica have promoted their forests for ecotourism aiming to introduce ppl to natural world.
  • through income from generated by ecotourism locals & the government benefit by retaining & protecting
    the environment for the future
  • more sustainable than cutting them for short term profit
35
Q

how can we protect trees & reduce deforestation through conservation & education

A
  • rain-forest can be protected & used for education/ scientific research
  • large international companies support conservation projects in exchange for carrying out scientific research /provision of raw materials
  • givaudan (swiss perfume co.) works w conservation international to protect 148000ha of Venezuelan rain-forest. locals encourage to harvest & sell tonka beans. beans can be stored & dried in a warehouse built 2012, improving the bean quality & increasing their value
36
Q

what are the 2 main sources of nutrients

A
  • rainwater washes chemicals out of the atmosphere

- weather rock releases nutrients into the soil

37
Q

give one human and one natural example of how a change in the balance of an ecosystem can affect the other parts of the ecosystem

A

NATURAL
- climate change = warmer temp meaning ponds dry up so plant/ animal species die
HUMAN
- fertilisers wash into rivers causing algae to grow, taking up too much oxygen so the fish die

38
Q

where are the biomes distributed. why do the vegetation & climate vary?

A
  • broad belts from east to west, parallel to the lines of latitude
  • vary due to atmospheric circulation (rainfall) and how close to the equator they are (temp)
39
Q

what’s the climate like in a hot desert (climate and rainfall). give an example of one.

A
  • low rainfall (less than 250mm per year) bc its on a high pressure belt (sinking air stops clouds forming)
  • high daytime temp, low nighttime temp (close to the equator)
  • Sahara desert/ Egypt
40
Q

where are hot deserts distributed?

A

30* north and south of the equator

41
Q

what’re the physical characteristics of a tropical rainforest

A
  • warm temperatures
  • heavy rainfall
  • infertile soil
  • dense vegetation (evergreen trees, thick shrub layer w/ v. little light)
  • indigenous ppl who’ve adapted to life there & survive by hunting, fishing, growing crops
42
Q

what are the causes of deforestation (%)

A
  • 70% commercial cattle farming
  • 20% small scale subsistence farming
  • 5% commercial farming ie soy beans
  • 3% logging
  • 2% other activities ie mining of iron ore/urbanisation (clearing space)/ HEP (dams & reservoirs)
43
Q

economic impacts of deforestation

A
  • creates jobs for local ppl (mine in peru employs 3100)
  • economic growth from selling goods ($7 bill in 2008 from cattle in brazil)
  • taxes being paid to improve public services ie health/education
  • HEP is cheap & renewbale
  • destroys indigenous ppl’s livelihoods
44
Q

environemtnal impacts of deforestation

A
  • loss of biodiversity
  • increase in CO2 in atmosphere = climate change
  • soil erosion leads to flooding & landslides
  • soil fertility decreases (no canopy to protect the soil & nutrients wash away)
45
Q

locate a case study for deforestation. and give a fact about the scale of deforestation there

A
  • amazon rainforest in south america

- 750,000 km2 has been deforested

46
Q

name some strategies to manage the tropical rainforest

A
  • selestive logging & replanting
  • conservation & education
  • ecotourism & international agreements
  • debt reduction
47
Q

what’re the physical characteristics of Tundra biomes

A
  • 10 to -20*C
  • low rainfall
  • layer of permafrost
  • no or thin soil
  • not very fertile soil
  • few plants which grow slowly & are short
  • few species of animals
48
Q

how are plants adapted to living in tundra/polar biomes

A
  • become dormant (stop growing) in cold winters
  • low growing and cushion-like to insulate and protect
  • hairy stems to retain heat due to cold conditions
  • thin & waxy leaves to retain moisture due to the low rainfall
  • shallow roots & grow under a layer of snow to photosynthesise in v cold conditions
  • short growing season
49
Q

how are animals adapted to living in tundra/polar biomes

A
  • well insulated w/ thick fur/ blubber ie seals
  • hibernate to conserve energy in winter/migrate to warmer areas ie arctic terns
  • white fur for camouflage from predators/prey ie arctic hares
  • adapted to survive on limited food
50
Q

why should cold environments be protected

A
  • wilderness areas provide us w/ scientific knowledge
  • vital for biodiversity
  • indigenous ppl who rely on ecosystem for survival (polar NOT tundra)
51
Q

describe the location for the case study for cold environements

A
  • alaska, usa
  • northern hemisphere
  • bordered by canada
52
Q

development opportunities in alaska

A
  • fishing (78,000 jobs BUT its seasonal)
  • mineral extraction = mining (gold,silver,zinc creates jobs BUT envirinmental damage to ecosystem due to chemicals)
  • tourism (1-2 mill visitors per year BUT seasonal & poorly paid. also most come on cruises which dump fuel in sea)
  • energy (mainly oil but also HEP & geothermal. 90% taxes come from oil, 400 ppl employed in the industry BUT environmental damage from oil spills & 80% jobs taken by migrants instead of loals)
53
Q

methods of protecting cold environments

A
  • use of technology to improve construction of buildings & communication
  • role of governments ie USA protection of the arctic & its natural resources
  • international agreements ie antarctic treaty which protects the area
  • conservation groups ie WWF & greenpeace encouraging protection of areas
54
Q

challenges in alaska

A
  • extreme temp (dangerous/difficult working outside - special clothing needed)
  • inaccessibility (sparsely populated & poor road network makes it hard to travel around)
  • buildings & infrastructure (provision is difficult & expensive. some buildings collapsing due to melting permafrost)
55
Q

outline one positive economic impact of deforestation

A

creates jobs meaning residents pay taxes and the country develops

56
Q

outline two environmental impacts of deforestation

A
  • contributes to the greenhouse effect as CO2 which is taken in from trees will be released/ less trees are taking in CO2
  • reduces biodiversity as many habitats are destroyed so animals have less space to live/ die
57
Q

explain how soil and plants in tropical rainforests are depentant on each other

A
  • plants depend on the soil to provide nutrients to help them grow
  • soil relies on plants to return nutrients back to the soil when they decompose after death
58
Q

outline two characteristics of vegetation in tropical ranforests

A

most are evergreen to take advantage of the continual growing season

most are tall to reach the sunlight as there isnt a lot of sunlight

Geography (11 decks)

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