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Geography paper 1 > The Living World/ Ecosystems > Flashcards

The Living World/ Ecosystems Flashcards

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1
Q

what is an ecosystem?

A

-unit that includes
biotic (living)
abiotic (non-living)

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2
Q

how can the organisms in an ecosystem be classifies?

A

-producers, consumers, decomposers

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3
Q

what is a producer?

A

-sun light energy to produce food

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4
Q

what is a consumer?

A

-energy from eating other organisms

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5
Q

what is a decomposer?

A
  • energy from breaking down dead material

- bacteria and fungi

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6
Q

what is a food chain?

A

shows what eats what

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7
Q

what isa food web?

A

shows food chains and how they overlap

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8
Q

what is nutrients recycling?

A
  • dead material decomposes
  • into soil
  • nutrients into plants
  • plants eaten by consumers
  • restarts
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9
Q

what is an example of a small scale ecosystem? what are the producers and consumers?

A
  • hedge
  • producers= hawthorn, blackberry
  • consumers= ladybirds, greenfly
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10
Q

where are tundra ecosystems found and what are the re characteristics?

A
  • high altitudes
  • northern Canada, Alaska
  • few trees
  • mosses, grasses
  • permafrost
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11
Q

where are grassland ecosystems found and what are there characteristics?

A
  • south Africa
  • low rainfall
  • dry and wet seasons
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12
Q

where are deciduous forests ecosystems found and what are there characteristics?

A
  • UK
  • 4 distinct seasons
  • mild winters
  • trees loose leaves in winter
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13
Q

where are tropical rainforests found and what are there characteristics?

A
  • equator
  • hot and weal year
  • dense canopies
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14
Q

where are hot deserts found and what are there characteristics?

A
  • North Africa, Australia
  • little rainfall
  • cold at night
  • cacti
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15
Q

where are polar environments found and what are there characteristics?

A
  • north and south poles
  • not much grows
  • 2 month growing season
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16
Q

what are the physical characteristics of a tropical rainforest?

A
  • same climate all year
  • 20-28 degrees
  • invertible soil
  • lots of animal variety
  • dense plants
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17
Q

give 2 examples on how parts of the rainforest are dependant on one another

A
  • climate means dead plants decompose quickly keeping fertile soil
  • plants pass on nutrients to animals eating it, dense plants, so can keep large animal populations
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18
Q

how have plants adapted to physical conditions?

A
  • tall competing for sunlight
  • buttress roots to support
  • thick, why leaves with drip tips so weight of water runs off
  • thin, smooth back. no need for cold weather protection. water easily run off
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19
Q

how have animals adapted to the physical conditions?

A
  • strong limbs so can climb and leap e.g. howler monkeys
  • camouflage
  • many can swim to cross river channels e.g. jaguars
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20
Q

what is biodiversity? how much biodiversity do tropical rainforests hold?

A

-variety of organisms living in one area, plants and
animals
-2/3 of worlds plants species found in rainforest

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21
Q

what are the issues with a decrease in biodiversity?

A
  • endangered species
  • extinct species
  • decline in ecosystem productivity
  • number of endangered species increases by 418 between 1989 and 2008
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22
Q

how are the rates of deforestation changing? stats

A
  • first decade of 21st century Asia, Africa and South America all increased deforestation
  • however half of brazil’s rainforests now protected
  • 20% of amazon deforested, 1970
  • roughly 300 000km2 from 2000-2010
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23
Q

what are the six main reasons for deforestation in a rainforest?

A
  • population pressure
  • mineral extraction e.g. gold
  • energy development e.g. dams
  • commercial logging
  • commercial farming e.g. cattle grazing
  • subsistence farming e.g. food for family
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24
Q

what are the environmental impacts of deforestation?

A
  • rain clues soil erosion, flooding, land slides
  • more water to ground less fertile soil
  • more CO2 staying and going into air
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25
Q

what are the economical impacts of deforestation?

A
  • create jobs
  • money made
  • destroy resources countries rely on for money
26
Q

how much deforestation has occurred in the amazon since 1978?

A

750 000km2

27
Q

what are the environmental impacts on the AMAZON due to deforestation?

A
  • 100 billions tons of carbon stored slowly being released, global waarming
  • 55 million tons of topsoil being lost in Brazil, due to soil erosion
28
Q

what are the economic impacts on the AMAZON due to deforestation?

A

-economic development has brought wealth to poor countries
-2008,Brazil made 6.9billion from trading cattle
jobs for loads of people

29
Q

why is it important to protect tropical rainforests for people?

A
  • more plants extinct so, less chance of discovering new medicines
  • climate change effects all counties
30
Q

why is it important to protect tropical rainforests for the environment?

A
  • biodiversity

- reduce greenhouse effect

31
Q

how can TR’s be sustainably managed through selective logging?

A
  • only older trees cut down
  • take from different areas
  • removing out of forest with horses. NO trucks
32
Q

how can TR’s be sustainably managed through replanting?

A
  • new trees replacing
  • trees for future
  • same tree type replanted
33
Q

how can TR’s be sustainably managed through ecotourism?

A
  • minimise environment damage
  • small amount of visitors
  • local people wrk with tourism so don’t have to log for money
34
Q

how can TR’s be sustainably managed through international agreements?

A
  • reduce illegal logging

- high demand of hardwood in rich countries

35
Q

how can TR’s be sustainably managed through education?

A
  • teach impacts
  • teach local people
  • teach local people other ways to make money
36
Q

how can TR’s be sustainably managed through reducing debt?

A
  • reduce debt for that country so less logging to make money

- debt payed off for agreement money spent on conservation

37
Q

what is the climate like in cold environments?

A
  • polar never over 0
  • polar winters -40- -90
  • tundra max 10
  • low rainfall 100mm polar + 380mm tundra
  • clear seasons
38
Q

what is the soil like in cold environments?

A
  • polar covered in ice
  • tundra- thin acidic not fertile
  • permafrost (permentant frost)
39
Q

what are the plants like in cold environments?

A
  • polar few plants, mosses fount of rocks
  • short trees
  • small grasses
40
Q

what are the animals like in cold environments?

A
  • small variety
  • polar- penguins,polar bears, whales
  • tundra- wolves, reindeer
41
Q

what are the people like in cold environments?

A
  • polar almost uninhabited, scientist for short periods

- tundra- many people, gas workers, oil workers

42
Q

how have plants adapted to cold environments?

A
  • small for wind protection
  • small leaves to limit moisture lost
  • shallow roots due to permafrost
43
Q

how have animals adapted to cold environments?

A
  • thick fur coats- polar bears
  • hibernate to save energy for winter
  • migrate
44
Q

what are the issues related to low biodiversity in a cold environment?

A
  • changes in one species can kill off another

- polar areas warming up. species cannot adapt

45
Q

what are the 4 main development opportunities in Alaska?

A
  • oil and gas
  • mineral extraction
  • fishing
  • toursim
46
Q

how is oil and gas a development opportunity in Alaska?

A
  • half of income

- links to shipping places - trans Alaska oil pipeline

47
Q

how is mineral extraction a development opportunity in Alaska?

A
  • gold, silver, iron, ore, copper
  • Tintina gold belt
  • 2.2 billion dollars GPD 2013
48
Q

how is fishing a development opportunity in Alaska?

A
  • salmon, crab
  • 79,000 employs
  • 5billion dollers
49
Q

how is tourism a development opportunity in Alaska?

A
  • 2 million tourists

- money and jobs

50
Q

what are the 3 main challenges for developing Alaska?

A
  • extreme temperatures
  • inaccessibility
  • buildings and infrastructure
51
Q

how is extreme weather a challenge for Alaska?

A
  • really cold
  • Prudhoe Bay annual -9
  • snow, strong winds
  • winter dark all the time
52
Q

how is inaccessibility a challenge for Alaska?

A
  • remote
  • no roads
  • small and scattered population
  • long way from jobs
53
Q

how is buildings and infrastructure a challenge for Alaska?

A
  • buildings that can cope are expensive
  • construction only in summer
  • Trans- Alasks pipe lines raised on stilts
54
Q

why are cold environments valuable wilderness areas worth conserving?

A
  • undeveloped, wild, inhabited
  • protect biodiversity
  • science
  • natural ecosystems
  • last remaining
55
Q

how are cold environments fragile?

A
  • slow plant growth

- high specialised species, hard to adapt to change

56
Q

what are the 4 main strategies needed to balance economic development with conservation?

A
  • technology
  • conservation groups
  • international agreements
  • role of governments
57
Q

how is the use of technology balancing conservation and EDevelopmet?

A
  • heated buildings melting permafrost
  • modern building elevated
  • stop warming ground
58
Q

how is the use of conservation groups balancing conservation and EDevelopmet?

A
  • pressure governments to protect
  • World Wild Fund for Nature
  • Greenpeace
  • both encourage sustainable management
59
Q

how is the use of international agreements balancing conservation and EDevelopmet?

A
  • 1959 Antarctic Treaty, 12 nations

- limiting visitors, no nuclear activity, no military

60
Q

how is the use of governments balancing conservation and EDevelopmet?

A
  • energy mining can cause water pollution
  • made laws
  • 1964 Wilderness Act
  • protect developing Alaska

Geography paper 1 (7 decks)

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