The living world: Ecosystems - Changes Affecting Ecosystems Flashcards
1
Q
Changes affecting ecosystems:
A
Ecosystems take hundreds of years to develop. Ecosystems need to be in balance, if there is a change to one of the components, it may well affect the rest of the ecosystem.
2
Q
Causes of change:
A
- global scale changes, such as climate change.
- local scale change, such as changes to a habitat – e.g. when a hedge is removed.
3
Q
Natural changes:
A
Extreme weather events like droughts can be devastating to ponds and lakes.
Plants will dry out and die.
Fish starved of oxygen might not survive.
4
Q
Human changes:
A
Changing one component has been changed it can have serious knock-on effects on the ecosystem:
- agricultural fertilisers can lead to eutrophication.
- ponds may be drained to use for farming.