The living world - ecosystems and amazon rainforest Flashcards
Using a case study explain the various
causes of deforestation
Amazon rainforest - commercial farming, logging, mining and mineral extraction, palm plantations
cattle ranching and its impact on the amazon rainforest?
65-70% of rainforest cleared was for cattle
what is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a complex natural system made up of plants animals and the environment. They exist at a range of scales – from small e.g. woodland to global e.g. desert
give one example of a named small ecosystem?
epping forest - deciduous woodland
what is the nutrient cycle?
transfer of nutrients within an ecosystem
describe the characteristics of tropical rainforests and link it to their location?
temperature is high all year round because sunlight falls directly to areas in the equator.
what are the characteristics of rainforests?
heavy convectional rainfall
high humidity
nutrient rich but shallow soil
These factors bolster a fast nutrient cycle
causes of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest?
cattle ranching
mineral extraction
commercial farming
road building
Impacts of deforestation?
the amazon rainforest holds 100 billion tonnes of CO2. When trees are cut down, their absorbing nature is reversed and the CO2 they held is released into the atmosphere.
