The Living World/ Ecosystems Flashcards
1
Q
what is an ecosystem?
A
-unit that includes
biotic (living)
abiotic (non-living)
2
Q
how can the organisms in an ecosystem be classifies?
A
-producers, consumers, decomposers
3
Q
what is a producer?
A
-sun light energy to produce food
4
Q
what is a consumer?
A
-energy from eating other organisms
5
Q
what is a decomposer?
A
- energy from breaking down dead material
- bacteria and fungi
6
Q
what is a food chain?
A
shows what eats what
7
Q
what isa food web?
A
shows food chains and how they overlap
8
Q
what is nutrients recycling?
A
- dead material decomposes
- into soil
- nutrients into plants
- plants eaten by consumers
- restarts
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
10
Q
where are tundra ecosystems found and what are the re characteristics?
A
- high altitudes
- northern Canada, Alaska
- few trees
- mosses, grasses
- permafrost
11
Q
where are grassland ecosystems found and what are there characteristics?
A
- south Africa
- low rainfall
- dry and wet seasons
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
13
Q
where are tropical rainforests found and what are there characteristics?
A
- equator
- hot and weal year
- dense canopies
14
Q
where are hot deserts found and what are there characteristics?
A
- North Africa, Australia
- little rainfall
- cold at night
- cacti
15
Q
where are polar environments found and what are there characteristics?
A
- north and south poles
- not much grows
- 2 month growing season
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
25
what are the economical impacts of deforestation?
- create jobs
- money made
- destroy resources countries rely on for money
26
how much deforestation has occurred in the amazon since 1978?
750 000km2
27
what are the environmental impacts on the AMAZON due to deforestation?
- 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
what are the economic impacts on the AMAZON due to deforestation?
-economic development has brought wealth to poor countries
-2008,Brazil made 6.9billion from trading cattle
jobs for loads of people
29
why is it important to protect tropical rainforests for people?
- more plants extinct so, less chance of discovering new medicines
- climate change effects all counties
30
why is it important to protect tropical rainforests for the environment?
- biodiversity
| - reduce greenhouse effect
31
how can TR's be sustainably managed through selective logging?
- only older trees cut down
- take from different areas
- removing out of forest with horses. NO trucks
32
how can TR's be sustainably managed through replanting?
- new trees replacing
- trees for future
- same tree type replanted
33
how can TR's be sustainably managed through ecotourism?
- minimise environment damage
- small amount of visitors
- local people wrk with tourism so don't have to log for money
34
how can TR's be sustainably managed through international agreements?
- reduce illegal logging
| - high demand of hardwood in rich countries
35
how can TR's be sustainably managed through education?
- teach impacts
- teach local people
- teach local people other ways to make money
36
how can TR's be sustainably managed through reducing debt?
- reduce debt for that country so less logging to make money
| - debt payed off for agreement money spent on conservation
37
what is the climate like in cold environments?
- polar never over 0
- polar winters -40- -90
- tundra max 10
- low rainfall 100mm polar + 380mm tundra
- clear seasons
38
what is the soil like in cold environments?
- polar covered in ice
- tundra- thin acidic not fertile
- permafrost (permentant frost)
39
what are the plants like in cold environments?
- polar few plants, mosses fount of rocks
- short trees
- small grasses
40
what are the animals like in cold environments?
- small variety
- polar- penguins,polar bears, whales
- tundra- wolves, reindeer
41
what are the people like in cold environments?
- polar almost uninhabited, scientist for short periods
| - tundra- many people, gas workers, oil workers
42
how have plants adapted to cold environments?
- small for wind protection
- small leaves to limit moisture lost
- shallow roots due to permafrost
43
how have animals adapted to cold environments?
- thick fur coats- polar bears
- hibernate to save energy for winter
- migrate
44
what are the issues related to low biodiversity in a cold environment?
- changes in one species can kill off another
| - polar areas warming up. species cannot adapt
45
what are the 4 main development opportunities in Alaska?
- oil and gas
- mineral extraction
- fishing
- toursim
46
how is oil and gas a development opportunity in Alaska?
- half of income
| - links to shipping places - trans Alaska oil pipeline
47
how is mineral extraction a development opportunity in Alaska?
- gold, silver, iron, ore, copper
- Tintina gold belt
- 2.2 billion dollars GPD 2013
48
how is fishing a development opportunity in Alaska?
- salmon, crab
- 79,000 employs
- 5billion dollers
49
how is tourism a development opportunity in Alaska?
- 2 million tourists
| - money and jobs
50
what are the 3 main challenges for developing Alaska?
- extreme temperatures
- inaccessibility
- buildings and infrastructure
51
how is extreme weather a challenge for Alaska?
- really cold
- Prudhoe Bay annual -9
- snow, strong winds
- winter dark all the time
52
how is inaccessibility a challenge for Alaska?
- remote
- no roads
- small and scattered population
- long way from jobs
53
how is buildings and infrastructure a challenge for Alaska?
- buildings that can cope are expensive
- construction only in summer
- Trans- Alasks pipe lines raised on stilts
54
why are cold environments valuable wilderness areas worth conserving?
- undeveloped, wild, inhabited
- protect biodiversity
- science
- natural ecosystems
- last remaining
55
how are cold environments fragile?
- slow plant growth
| - high specialised species, hard to adapt to change
56
what are the 4 main strategies needed to balance economic development with conservation?
- technology
- conservation groups
- international agreements
- role of governments
57
how is the use of technology balancing conservation and EDevelopmet?
- heated buildings melting permafrost
- modern building elevated
- stop warming ground
58
how is the use of conservation groups balancing conservation and EDevelopmet?
- pressure governments to protect
- World Wild Fund for Nature
- Greenpeace
- both encourage sustainable management
59
how is the use of international agreements balancing conservation and EDevelopmet?
- 1959 Antarctic Treaty, 12 nations
| - limiting visitors, no nuclear activity, no military
60
how is the use of governments balancing conservation and EDevelopmet?
- energy mining can cause water pollution
- made laws
- 1964 Wilderness Act
- protect developing Alaska
